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HISTORY 



OP 



ilDDLEFIELD and LONG HILL. 



BY 



Thomas Atkins. 



HARTFORD, CONN. 
Press of The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company, 

1883. 



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TO THE DESCENDANTS 



OF THE 



EAELY SETTLERS OF MIDDLEFIELD AND LONG HILL, 
THIS BOOK 

IS 

RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. 



1* 



PREFACE. 



No apology should be necessary in offering to 
tlie public any facts of interest hitherto unknown, 
or in presenting known facts systematized in a 
convenient manner for reference, yet in the pres- 
entation of this little work an explanation, scarcely 
less than an apology, is needed. More than ten 
years ago, our beloved father, Thomas Atkins, 
began collecting historical items and data, con- 
cerning Middlefield and Long Hill. Many of 
these were from personal observation and recollec- 
tion, and from the stories of the old j)eople, heard 
in his childhood and held by a memory unusually 
retentive. By birth he was directly descended 
from the earliest settlers both of Long Hill and 
Middlefield, and perhaps no one born within the 
limits of the town of Middletown ever had more 
general and intimate knowledge of its history, as 
handed down by word of mouth from one genera- 
tion to another. His kinship with nature was so 
close, his love for her so genuine, that every old 
or peculiar tree, every stone marked by the ages 
with uncommon characters, every hidden spring 
or tangled copse or wildwood growth of shrubs 
or flowers in the wide vicinity were his own 



acquaintance. It was his delight to go "across 
lots" to any place, especially with some young 
companions, to whom he could point out his 
loved objects, and mth whom he could climb to 
the tops of the hills and catch the distant views. 
No hilltop near but had borne the impress of his 
feet in childhood and in old age, even to beyond 
fourscore. It is true to say he "possessed the 
land," that superior possession not limited by 
legal terms but bounded only by the shifting 
horizon. This "History" was a cherished work 
of his, and for ten or twelve years he was putting 
MS. with MS. with the expectation of sometime 
giving them to the public, and some of the later 
additions were made just before he was called to 
view the " Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood." 
We ask the reader to remember, when he observes 
the incompleteness, or the entire absence of facts 
or data for which he is searching, that it was the 
author's intention to have carried out to a more 
definite detail and enlarged treatment nearly all 
the subjects touched upon, and we think it true, 
especially in regard to family records. In com- 
piling these MSS. for the press we have tried to 
fill in some things attainable to us, but it has been 
with a groping hand and a continual sense of the 
lack of that means of linking events with the 
past which only the far-reaching memory of one 
who has come in contact with more generations 
can furnish. Such as these pages are, unfinished 
or incomplete, we feel that they still possess items 



of great value to the decendants of tlie early set- 
tlers of the town of Middletown, and we offer 
them with the consideration that in spite of omis- 
sions they are valuable for what they do possess, 
and that tliey may serve as a foundation and a 
corroboration for some more extensive work 
which some future author may build. No one 
will ever work in this field of research with a 
love for it exceeding his, with more jealous care 
for its repute, with more honest pride in the 
character of its early people, or with stronger 
desire for its prosperous future, or with more 
fondness for the "goodly heritage" of hill and 
field and dale, which has passed from primeval 
beauty to present loveliness under the hands of 
seven generations. One has but to attempt to 
write the history of any New England village to 
be impressed with the fact that he will find her 
sons and daughters scattered through the West 
and South, and in almost all cases filling positions 
of trust and influence in the places of their adop- 
tion. Our own town is no exception to this truth. 
Her children are scattered far and wide, and 
whether in large cities or on the broad prairies 
or in the Kocky Mountain Territories, they are 
a potent, energetic, and intelligent element in the 
population. 

We do not deem it inappropriate here to copy 
from the obituary notice of our father. Thomas 
Atkins was born in Middletown, Conn., March 4, 
1797, and died at Port Chester, New York, Jan. 



13, 1882. He was tlie son of Ithamar Atkins, 
grandson of Thomas Atkins, and great-grandson 
of Epliraim Atkins, who settled in Middletown 
in the reio-n of Queen Anne. He was one of 
twelve children, six sons and three daughters of 
whom lived to old age. His mother was Anna 
Hubbard (daughter of Nehemiah Hubbard). He 
was born on the morning of the day George 
Washington went out of office ; was married in 
1827, and settled with his bride, Lucy Miller 
(daughter of Jacob Miller and lineal descendant 
of Thomas Miller the 1st, of Middletown), in 
the Society of Middlefield, about two miles from 
his own birthplace in Long Hill. To them were 
born live children, three of whom are now living. 
The characteristic of self-dependence was pecu- 
liarly strong in him. Nothing that he could do 
for himself did he wish others to do for him. 
Even in old age was this apparent. Physically 
he was a man of rare endowment. He could 
run, jump, hop, and skip in his old age, and very 
often, after he was eighty, was he seen playing 
running games with the children. His health 
was almost uniform until after he reached four- 
score. He laughed at dyspepsia and all kindred 
ills, and his last sickness seemed untimely, even 
at his age, for it was produced by a long walk 
in bad weatlier — such as a young person would 
hardly undertake. A violent cold was the result, 
which developed malarial fever. In character 
he was gentle and kindly, always ready to render 



9 

assistance to tlie helpless and dependent ; of strict 
integrity, and proud of liis long line of honest an- 
cestry. In his love of nature, he was as faithful as 
Thoreau. Not a flower blossomed, or a bird sung, 
but he knew and welcomed them all. He watched 
for the first blue-bird as lovingly as the Arctic 
traveler watches the returning sun, and the 
fringed gentian of the Autumn woods was sought 
by him in its native nooks. Of a poetic tempera- 
ment, the English classics were especially liked, 
but he found delight in all true poetry. His 
own hand held " the pen of a ready writer,'^ and 
many and varied were his contributions to local 
literature. It would seem fitting to say, for the 
sake of the young who knew him, that a vast 
amount of the happiness of his long and happy 
life came from his pure tastes and the love of 
nature. We must not forbear to mention his 
great love for the children. He was called ^'The 
Children's Friend." At his own home or where- 
ever he was, they sought him with the quick 
instinct of attraction. 

During a long life of uninterrupted activity, 
he served with fidelity the interests of society, 
of government, of law, and education. As a coun- 
try " Squire " he was often sought to settle the 
vexed questions arising in all communities. 
" What is right " was always the standard of 
settlement. He was a member of the Methodist 
denomination, and for more than fifty years a regu- 
lar attendant on divine service. Bound by no 



10 

sectarianism, lie was at home with all who gatli- 
ered in his Master's house. From youth to man- 
hood and old as^e he was a staunch and earnest 
advocate of temperance. Born in an age when 
temperance as a principle was not widely taught, 
he was an example of total abstinence from strong 
drink. His Christian serenity and his temperate 
life carried into old age much of the joy and 
vigor and activity of youth. Life's setting sun 
shone full upon his years, and some of his pleas- 
antest were spent after he was fourscore. 

L. A. D. 



HISTORY 



THE GRANT OF LANDS. 

Sowheag, a sacliem of Mattabesett, (Middle- 
town,) gave lands to John Haynes, who was the 
Governor of the Colonies of Connecticut. This 
was done before there was any settlement in the 
town of Middletown, as supposed. About the 
year 1662, Sepunemo and some other chiefs sold 
land to Samuel Willis and others, they being 
agents of the town or settlement. It is thought 
that the wild lands then lying in the settlement 
were in the last purchase. Sowheag, as before 
mentioned, was a powerful chief or sachem. The 
Piquags of Wethersfield, their Sagamore, Sequin, 
and others on the east side of the Connecticut 
river were under him. There were not many 
wigwams in Middleiield ; the country here seems 
to have been more particularly their hunting 
ground, for arrow lieads and other implements of 
Indian skill and ingenuity are frequently found 
here. 

MIDDLEFIELD. 

The town of Middlefield is four miles long 
from north to south, and three miles and one 
hundred and twenty rods wide from east to west, 
and contains about 8,640 square acres. An 
actual survey might make it some less. It is 
bounded, north on Westfield Society, east on 



Staddle Hill and Long Hill, soutli on the town 
of Durham, and west on Wallingford and 
Meriden. 

THE FIRST SETTLEMENT IN MIDDLEFIELD. 

The first settlement in Middlefield began 
about the year 1700. The first settlers were 
Samuel Allen, Benjamin Miller, and Samuel 
Wetmore; these persons came from the first 
society. Soon after this others came and 
settled in Middlefield : persons by the name of 
Bacon, Hubbard, Stow", Turner, and Ward ; these 
likewise came from the first society. Soon 
persons came from other towns. We find the 
names of Camp, Coe, and Lyman, from Durham ; 
of Birdsey from Stratford ; of Bartlett from Guil- 
ford; and others by the name of Chilson and 
Hale. 

LOCATION OF THE FIRST SETTLERS. 

Benjamin Miller settled in the south part of 
the town near Coginchaug Swamp, or "Low 
Meadow," and not far from the West river (Cog- 
inchaug). Samuel Allen settled in the north 
part of the town, on high land, thinking it to be 
a more healthy location. Samuel Wetmore 
located himself in the center of the place, nearly 
opposite the spot where the Methodist Church 
now stands. A more particular account of the 
prominent families will be noticed in this work 
under their proper heads. 

THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 

Middlefield, witli tlie adjacent country, is 



beautifully romantic, higli ranges of hills running 
north and south through its whole extent, with 
intervening tracts of level land, and meadows of 
surpassing beauty, through which the silvery 
waters of the West river wander, nearly its whole 
length, blend to form a picture of rare loveliness. 

DISTANT VIEWS FROM MOUNTAINS AND HILLS. 

The sight from '^Coe's Peak," or any of the 
high points of Besek or of the Western Hills, is 
errand and enchantino- to the observer. Britain 
at the north, with its tall spires pointing heaven- 
ward, and its city buildings, seems to repose in 
quiet in a lovely valley. Cromwell and Portland 
in the northeast present charming scenery. The 
deep excavations in brown stone on the banks 
of the River Connecticut, look like some old 
frowning castle wall with its lofty battlements, 
and Cobalt Mt. sits like a fair nymph bathing 
liei' feet in the soft waters of the Connecticut. 
Durham at the south, with its glittering spires, 
seems to rest in a sheltered vale, as in a sacred 
spot, where no unhallowed foot dare intrude. 
Hills and dark crested mountains surround it on 
almost every side. Wallingford at the west, 
with its fenced farms, looks like a pleasure 
garden. 

MIDDLEFIELD FALLS. 

The Middlefield Falls near the northeast 
are one of the most lovely cascades in nature. 
Here the water tumbles down the flinty rocks a 
distance of thirty-five feet, and the sight is grand 
at freshet time. Here the geologist may take 



lessons, the scientist contemplate the beauty and 
majesty of this wonderful creation, the poet catch 
the fire of inspiration and tune his songs to 
heavenly music, and the divine see traces of the 
fingers of Deity and be led to exclaim, "Great 
and marvelous are thy vs^orks, Lord of earth and 
heaven ! " 

LITTLE FALLS. 

In the eastern ]3art of Middlefield are the 
"Little Falls," a lovely sight, where the water 
falls down the slaty rocks, step by step, near one 
hundred feet, and then flow^s into the powder 
mill pond. A visit to this lone and silent place 
will well pay the lover of solitude or any one 
fond of wild and romantic scenery. 

SAW MILL HOLLOW, 

Lies a little south of the Middletown City 
reservoir. Here is wild and lovely scenery, the 
gentle cascades and old primeval trees with arch- 
ing, tangled boughs that overhang the stream are 
food for thought. Here fossil fishes are found, 
in this "Hollow," some of them quite perfect. 

RIVERS, BROOKS, AND SPRINGS. 

The West river was so called from its being 
west of the City of Middletown. Its Indian 
name was Coginchaug. The main branch of 
this river starts from a spring at the base of 
Totoket Mt. in North Guilford, and running 
northward unites with two other streams of 
note in Duiham meadows, or (Coginchaug 
Swamp). Its course from the meadows of Dur- 



9 

ham is northwardly, bearing toward northeast as 
it enters Middlefield. It receives other tribu- 
taries in its meandering course to the Little river, 
where it unites, in the Boggy meadows, with the 
Berlin and Newfield branch some half a mile 
west of the Connecticut river, into which it 
empties. 

WARD SPRING. 

Ward Spring, near the head of "Hans" or 
"Trout Brook," is a noted spring and yields a 
large supply of Avater. This spring is a little 
south of the " Old Burying Ground." 

PETER'S SPRING. 

Peter's Spring is another noted spring; it is a 
few rods east of Peter's lane and took its name, 
as did the lane, from an old slave of one of the 
Wetmores. Old Peter w^as freed and had a 
small house near this spring ; this was more than 
one hundred years ago ; scarce any trace of the 
freedmau's hut now remains. 

. CRANK SPRING. 
Crank Spring, which is noted for its clear cold 
water, is near the foot of Besek, '^ Coe's Peak." 
* It took its name from a certain piece of land 
called the " Crank," bounded partly on Durham 
and partly on AVallingford line. The lot 
received its name of crank from the shape of the 

* This explanation was obtained through the Lyman family, 
and seems plausible. 

2* 



10 

lot oil the soutli western side, wliicli is that of a 
crank, thus: 

Durham. 

\ Wallingford. 
Middletown. 

DARROW BROOK. 

Darrow Brook took its name from Nicholas 
Darrow, because it wandered much of its way 
through his land, until its unison with the West 
river. 

LITTLE FALLS BROOK. 

The Little Falls Brook rises in the east school 
district, and runs northwardly till it unites with 
the West river at the Powder Mill Pond. The 
" Falls " are just above the entrance to the pond. 

HANS' BROOK. 

Hans' Brook took its name from a man by the 
name of Hans, who had a house and barn on the 
lot north of Hans' bridge. 

POWDER HILL. 

Powder Hill, in the southwest part of Middle- 
field, is the highest cultivated land in the town, 
and higher than any in the old parent town of 
Middletown. It is over five hundred feet above 
the tide water of the Connecticut river. What 
gave this hill its name is not exactly known, 
unless we accept tlie tradition of the Indian who 
lost his powder-liorn on this hill and spent much 
time in searching for it ; but there is another 
theory that deserves consideration, which is, that 



11 

it obtained its name from the soil, and a dark 
sand tliat is lodged in tlie crevices of the rocks, 
resembling powder. There is a valley between 
Powder Hill and Besek Mt. where is a very cold 
spring of water that issues out of the rocks. 
This spring is called Crank Spring, it is here 
under the large maple, that parties who visit 
Coe's Peak leave their provisions before they 
ascend the mountain, ajid when they become 
satisfied with the grandeur and beauty of nature, 
retire to this loved spot to satisfy the inner man 
also. 

CORPORATION. 

Middlefield was incorporated in 1744. 

CHURCH FORMED IN 1747. 

A church of the Congregational order was 
formed in 1747, comprising nine males and 
t^venty-four females. Rev. Ebenezei' Gould was 
the first minister in Middlefield, after the society 
was formed in 1747. He was dismissed in 1756. 
The Rev. Joseph Denison succeeded him in 1756, 
and died in 1770. Then the Rev. Abner Bene- 
dict was ordained in 1771, and in 1785, at his 
request, he was dismissed. It was said of Mr. 
Benedict that he was benevolent, and an able 
divine, and that he used his influence among his 
people to induce them to free their slaves, the 
which almost all of them did. In May 1820, 
Rev. Stephen Hayes was installed joint pastor 
of Westfield and Middlefield. He was dismissed 
Aug. 1827 : Rev. James Noyes was ordained July, 
1827, and dismissed Jan., 1839; Rev. Dwight 



12 

Seward supplied the pulpit from 1841 to 1843. 
Then Rev. A. H. Powell for a short time, 1851 ; 
Eev. Willard Jones from 1852 to 1854; Rev. 
Francis Dyer from 1854 to 1856; Rev. Mr. Lock- 
wood for a short time; Rev. S. D. Jewett from 
1858 to 1867; Rev. Theodore Pond from 1867 to 
1868; Rev. Andrew C. Denison commenced his 
labors here, September 1868. 

[The early records show that the erection of a 
" meeting-house "* was one of the first things 
resolved upon by the early settlers. This was 
done soon after the formation of the church, and 
stood where the present Congregational church 
edifice now stands. At the close of the Revolu- 
tion and for many years after, religion was at a 
very low ebb, so much so, that this church 
became almost extinct. It was re-organized in 
1808. Not very long after, the " Conference 
House " so called, was built to avoid conflict, and 
to afford a place for worship while the old meet- 
ing-house was occupied by Universal ists. In 
1842 the present church edifice was built, which 
in 1882 was considerably enlarged and improved.] 

*One who well remembers it, thus describes the old "meeting- 
house." It was a plain building, about as large as the present one 
before its recent addition. The inside was furnished with high- 
backed pews with seats all around, and doors. Some were cushioned, 
some not. The pews were free. There was a seater, who seated 
the congregation according to age, respectability, and wealth, the 
higher grades nearer the pulpit. The latter was a high box-like 
affair with stairs on one side, and overhead a " sounding board " 
somewhat resembling a round table top a little concave. The gal 
lery was on three sides of the house. The choir sat in the gallery, 
and the chorister pitched the tunes with the aid of a tuning fork." 



13 

CHURCH BUILDINGS. 

There are three churches in tlie town, all 
standing near the center of the place — Congrega- 
tional, Methodist, and Episcopal. 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

The first Methodist Episcopal church was 
built about the year 1829 or 30, and located 
where the present one stands. The land owned 
by the Methodist Society was bought of Samuel 
Birdsey, in part, and Elisha Coe, in part. The 
original trustees of the Methodist church were, 
Comfort Hall, Edward Turner, Elias Coe, Elisha 
Miller, Jr., Marvin Thomas, Isaac W. Baldwin, 
and Eliphalet Arnold. The deed given by Sam- 
uel Birdsey to the trustees, after describing the 
land says, "To have and to hold the above 
granted and bargained premises, with the appur- 
tenances thereof unto them, the said Grantees as 
Trustees, as aforesaid, and to their successors in 
said office, in trust, for the said Methodist Epis- 
copal church, forever, to them and their own 
proper use and behoof." In the earlier years of 
the church the "circuit preacher" ministered to 
the congregation. For years, at different periods, 
the pulpit has been supplied from the Wesleyan 
University at Middletown. The easy distance 
from the college gave to this church by frequent 
opportunity, a high order of talent. Some hon- 
ored names from the list of University preachers 
have been familiar to this church. Professors 



u 

Willett, Lindsay, Newhall, Harrington, Drs. Hol- 
dicli, Trne, and others ; among tlie earlier ones 
were " Father Burrows " and Heman Bangs. For 
a considerable term of later years, the church has 
been supplied by regular pastors appointed by 
Conference. In the year 1866, the old brick 
church was torn down, and a new and tasteful 
one built on its site. 

EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

The Episcopal church was built in the year 
1862. Since its erection its service has been 
intermittent, the number of people of the denomi- 
nation in the place being small. Latterly, stu- 
dents from the Berkeley Divinity School, Middle- 
town, have officiated there. 

UNION SUNDAY-SCHOOL CHAPEL. 

The old Falls District school-house, called in 
times past the '^ Bell school-house " was moved 
from its site when the new school-house of that 
district was built, and placed a little farther east, 
on land owned by Thomas Atkins. It was 
refitted and converted into a chapel for the use 
of a Union Sunday-school, and for Union religious 
service on Sunday evenings. The Sunday-school 
has been sustained from its organization in July, 
1877. 

SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

Middlefield is divided into four school dis- 
tricts. The North, East, South, and Falls dis- 
tricts. It has four school-houses. Each district 



15 

has a school house legated near its center, and 
all the school buildings are in modern style and 
in good condition (1880). 

POPULATION IN 1815. 

Number of families, 92. Of these 41 were 
Congregationalist ; Universalist, 36 ; Methodist, 
6; Baptist, 5 ; Episcopalian, 1. (This classifica- 
tion we find in ^' Dr. D. D. Field's Statistics," 
which we think needs correction.) The popula- 
tion was about 450. 

LANDS DONATED FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES. 

There were lands donated foi* school pur- 
poses, upon the hill south of the wringer manu- 
factories. The farm of Elihu Stow was a part 
of the land donated, and when the commissioners 
sold the land the buyers supposed that it would 
be free from taxes. Bela Coe purchased the old 
Stow place. He claimed exemption from taxes, 
as some others did owning school lands. This 
was in 1826. Captain Bela Coe rated 104 acres 
of school land. The writer of this history was 
then assessor of the third district of Middletown, 
and found no law that would exempt school 
lands from taxation. 

SCHOOLS. 

[Those who studied geography in the common 
schools of New England forty or fifty years ago 
learned that Connecticut was ''famed for her 
common schools." This was a just tribute, but 



16 

it was a comparative oue.^ Education, according 
to the standard of what was required to be 
taught in the schools of that day, was carefully 
attended to, and provision made for its support. 
Fifty or sixty years ago but few branches were 
taught. Arithmetic (Daboll's), geography, read- 
ing, spelling, aod writing compassed all. Lan- 
guage lessons, or the grammar of any language, 
were hardly included. It must be said for this 
department, so lacking at that day, that the 
reading books used in the schools were usually 
compiled from the best English writers — Pope, 
Addison, Shakespeare, Goldsmith, Sterne, and 
others. No modern readers furnish purer or 
richer examples of thought, style, and construc- 
tion. Daboll's arithmetic, although not followed 
by algebra or the higher mathematics, was 
mastered by the farmer boys in the school-room, 
or before the blazing fire in the great old- 
fashioned kitchen on winter evenings, perhaps 
aided by the teacher who was " boarding round," 
and the same discipline of mind attained as if 
grappling with higher propositions under more 
liberal conditions. Geography, for want of 
explorations, and means to communicate knowl- 
edge of the earth's surface, was often faulty. An 
old geography of this time, picked up from some 
garret collection of stowed-away books, would 
make a school boy of the present day laugh. 
America, Africa, parts of Europe, Asia, and the 
Isles of the Sea would hardly be recognized 



17 

except by general outline. Internally a large 
portion was unknown or misunderstood. Pen- 
mansliip in the scliools of sixty years ago was 
not at the same discount. The old-fashioned 
quill pen, if made by an adept, was a better pen 
than the ordinary steel one used in schools now, 
and if any one doubts whether the chirography 
of that day compares favorably with this, let him 
search out the old manuscripts or the old writing- 
books of the best writers of that time. The uni- 
formity, legibility, and beauty of the hand- 
writing of oar fathers and grandfathers compel 
our admiration. Such penmanship would bring 
a light to the face of any editor of the present 
day, accustomed to decipher the hieroglyphics of 
modern authors. A teacher of the " old school " 
time remarked in our hearing that he used to 
make and mend forty quill pens for his school. 
Of his sixty scholars, forty were writers. The 
schools of Middlefield, until within the last 
thirty or forty years, were of the same order as 
those of the State generally. Of the older fami- 
lies of Middlefield there were those who were 
always warmly interested in its schools ; the 
Augurs, Lymans, Stows, some of the Goes, and 
others. Warren P. Stow was very earnest in the 
cause of education. The old-time "Examining Com- 
mittee" used to take pride in not letting a can- 
didate for teaching slip through too easily. More 
than once a student from the University of Mid- 
dletown has been sent sorrowfully away, not able 



18 

to pass the examination by the Middlefield school 
committee. The examining committee used to 
visit the schools and watch the progress with 
great interest. Many still remember the visits of 
Mr. Marvin Thomas, accompanied by his wife, 
who, with her knitting, would sit and calmly 
review the school, apparently with real enjoy- 
ment. A higher standard has prevailed in the 
schools since thirty or forty years ago. Formerly 
the teachers were young women in summer and 
young men in winter, thereby necessitating a dis- 
advantage by repeated change of the manner of 
instruction. Now teachers remain term after 
term, and are very generally drilled in the 
normal schools. The standard and range of 
studies compare favorably with other places of 
the same size in the State.] 

FACTORIES AND MILLS ON THE WEST RIVER. 
GRIST MILL. 

In the early settlement of Middlefield, William 
Miller built a grist-mill at the Falls, where the 
cotton factory now stands. (William Miller was 
born in Middlefield and married a daughter of 
Ambrose Clark of Long Hill, '^Lord Am." — as he 
was called.) Most of his children were born at 
the Clark house in Long Hill. He moved back 
to Middlefield about the year 1755. The mill 
ceased grinding about the year 1800, for the mill 
was old and worn, and the miller was old and 
infirm, and ceased work. A saw-mill took the 



19 

place of the old grist-mill, biiiit by Joslma Stow 
and Jacob Miller, sou of William. 

FULLING MILL. 

Jacob Miller had a fulling mill under tbe saw- 
mill, he being a clotli dresser. His shop for 
dressing clotli stood on tlie south bank of the 
river, just over the bridge, and near or over a 
rivulet, which was handy for dyeing and rinsing 
cloth. Willard Miller, son of Jacob, carried on 
the cloth-dressing business several years after his 
father gave it up. The saw-mill was not profita- 
ble to the owners, and sawing ceased about the 
year 1808. Richard M. Bailey repaired and 
fitted up the old saw-mill, and run it to profit for 
several years for a considerable time after the 
cotton factory was built, using the surplus water. 

COTTON FACTORY. 

The cotton factory was built by the Falls 
Manufacturing Company in 1847. Some years 
after an addition was made to the original build- 
ing. In 1 874 the factory was burned, with all 
the machinery, and in 1874 a new company was 
formed, called the Russell Manufacturing Com- 
pany, and a new building was erected, much 
larger than the old and with more ample means 
for spinning cotton yarn. This building is 
nearly two hundred feet long and thirty-eight 
feet wide, and has a wing. A jiart of the main 
building is five stories high. At this factory is 
spun each week four thousand pounds or more of 



20 

fine double and twisted yarn, and so perfect is 
the machinery that only fifty- two hands are 
necessary to do this great amount of work — 
twenty-eight girls and twenty-four men and boys. 

SNUFF MILL. 

There was a mill erected near the "Falls" 
about the year 1779 or '80 by a Mr. Shaler of the 
city of Middletown, for the manufacture of snuff. 
This mill stood a few yards northwest of the 
saw-mill. The water was taken from the '^ Falls " 
and carried to an overshot wheel in a trough. 
This mill ceased running in a year or two, the 
manufacture of snuff not being very profitable. 
Subsequently, and after being idle some years, 
the mill was repaii'ed and fitted up for the 
making of buttons. After running about two 
years, the building took fire and the machinery, 
stock, and all were destroyed by the fire, which 
happened in the dead of night. 

POWDER-MILL. 

There was a small powder-mill located on the 
west side of the river, about fifteen rods north of 
the Falls. The water was carried in a trough, 
across the gulf and emj^tied into a ditch, along 
which it ran several rods, and then was con- 
ducted on to a small overshot wheel. A man by 
the name of Curtis owned and operated this 
mill. He lived in Durham ; the mill blew up 
Feb. 18, 1806; Curtis was blown across the 
river ; he was found wallowing in the snow 



21 

dreadfully burned ; he lived but a short time 
after lie was found. He used to leave the mill 
in operation nights, and go home to Durham, and 
sometimes he was not back until late in the 
morning. Two boys were in bathing one Sunday 
morning, when they discovered the powder-mill 
to be on fire ; they went and put the fire out, 
carrying water in their hats. The gudgeon, for 
the want of lubrication, had got so hot as to set 
the wood that came in contact with the iron, on 
fire. These two courageous boys were Horace 
Miller and Benjamin Birdsey. 

We will leave the Falls after reverting to the 
scenery as it was before the death of Hon. J. 
Stow, he being the owner of this lovely place. 
The scenery at this time, in the vicinity of the 
Falls, was wild and secluded ; trees had been- 
suffered to grow, and the banks of the river were 
lined with elms, maples, and dense hemlocks, 
lending lonely beauty to the spot. The place 
was visited almost daily during the summer 
months, by the lovers of nature. To see the 
Falls and its surroundings was a favorite drive 
from the city of Middletown. 

NAIL FACTORY. 

Next below the Falls, a factory was erected 
by Jehoshaphat Stow, for the purpose of cutting 
nails. This was in 1798, or about that time. 
The inventor of the nail-cutting machine was 
Daniel French of Berlin, Conn. Pi'evious to this 

3* 



22 

time nails were headed by hand ; and here in 
this obscure place in Middlefield, Conn., were 
made the first cut nails of iron in the United 
States, and perhaps in the world. French left 
Middlefield and went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where 
he invented apparatus for propelling boats by 
steam, and the first steam-boat that ascended the 
Ohio river from Cincinnati was the invention of 
his genius, and the trial trip was a success. This 
was in 1816, or about that time. 

WIRE WORKS. 
Iron wire was made at this nail factory 
between the years 1812 and 1816, when we were 
at war with Great Britain. When the war 
ceased the manufacture of wire at this place 
ceased, for wire could then be obtained of the 
English, cheaper than it could be manufactured 
at home. 

WOOL CARDING. 

Soon after the close of the wire-making busi- 
ness, the carding of wool was carried on here by 
J. Casey, for several years, and when carding 
became unprofitable the business was given up, 
and for cpiite a number of yeaus the factory lay 
idle, and the dam and buildings went to decay. 
The property was in the right of the heirs of 
George Casey. In 1845 this mill privilege was 
purchased and a 



23 
PISTOL FACTORY 

was erected by a company of young men, namely, 
Henry Aston, Ira N. Johnson, Sylvester Bailey, 
John North, Nelson Aston, and Peter Ashton. 
They took a large contr-act of the government of 
the United States for making pistols; an addi- 
tional contract was granted them. When the 
work was finished the property was put up at 
auction by the company, and Ira N. Johnson was 
the highest bidder, and the property came to him 
in 1852. Since then, the manufacture of pistols 
and other things has been carried on by Johnson 
and others up to the time the factory was burned, 
which was on the night of the 21st of Sept., 1879. 
This building was of brick with a stone base- 
ment, 80 feet long by 30 feet wide, and two 
stories his^h above the basement. Additions to 
tlie main building had been made. The dam was 
built of stone. [By the burning of the pistol 
factory Mr. Otis Smith, a\ ho was at tliat time 
doing quite an extensive business there, lost 
machinery, tools, stock, and goods. Nothing was 
saved. In Nov., 1880, Mr. Smith again began 
manufacturing in P. W. Bennett's factory, where 
he remained until July, 1882. In.Dec, 1881, he 
purchased of Ira N. Johnson, the pistol factory 
property, and erected thereon a three-story brick 
building, 100 feet long by 30 feet wide, and is 
now^ manufacturing a pistol of his own invention 
known as the "Smith's revolver;" also several 
patented articles in the hardware line.] 



24 
POWDER-MILL. 

Next below on this river is a powder-mill 
which ^vas established by Yiue Starr about the 
year 1793, and has been in operation most of the 
time since. There have been several explosions : 
Hezekiah Clark lost his life when the mill was 
blown up in March, 1825. This is the only 
instance directly resulting in death, caused by 
this mill since it was established, about ninety 
years ago. Lately there has been a stone dam 
erected in place of the wood one. This mill is 
now, and has been for many years, in the hands 
of the Rand family of Middletown, Conn. 

PxlPER-MILL. 

Farther down the stream there was a paper- 
mill, built in 1793 by Jehoshaphat Starr and Ne- 
hemiah Hubbard. Here paper was manufactured 
by hand for a number of years. AVilliam Coles 
came from Dorchester, Mass., to Middleiield, soon 
after the mill was built, and was foreman for 
twenty-six years, until 1819. Coles and Wright 
purchased the mill and ran it for some time 
successfully. Coles bought out Wright in 1824 
or thereabout, and continued the business for a 
short time with profit, Avhen the manufacture of 
paper b}^ machinery was introduced, and at much 
less expense than it could be done by hand, and 
this almost ruined the business at this mill. 
The proprietor not feeling able to be at the 
expense of purchasing new machinery for making 



paper 



25 

tlie business Avent down. Since then this 
mill has chan2:ed hands several times. Paste- 
board and coarse wrapping paper were for a time 
made here, then squares and bevels by the 
'^Tidgwell Bros," and subsequently the mill 
property came into the hands of G. W. Miller 
and P. W. Bennett. This was in the year 1868. 

BONE AND SAW-MILL. 

Miller and Bennett constructed a " bone and 
saw-mill " which is still in operation. In 1875, 
Bennett bought out Miller, and at the present 
time (1880), in addition to the other business, 
pistols and machines for cutting washers for 
wagons and carriages are made here. [Since 
1880, besides the sawing of lumber and the manu- 
facture of bone as a fertilizer, an additional busi- 
ness has been started. In Feb., 1882, was begun 
the manufacture of a patent lathe-tool for the 
saving of labor in making small tools. Donald 
D. Smith is the inventor.] 

FACTORIES AND MILLS ON THE BESEK RIVER. 

This branch of the main or " West river" rises 
under the brows of Besek mountain, from springs 
and the commingling of rains and snows. The 
Indian name of this stream is not known ; it is 
sometimes called Besek because it flows out from 
Besek mountain. This river wanders and unites 
with the main river belo^v the Miller brids^e. 



26 
SAW-MILL. 

There was a saAV-niill located where the 
wringer shops now stand, by William Miller, Jr. 
This saw-mill was built not far from the year 
1775. William Miller was killed in his mill 
November 2, 1795 ; in the early morning he was 
found dead near the water wheel. His wife sup- 
posed that he had gone do\vn to the " Falls " to 
see his father, who was sick at tliat time. 

GRIST-MILL. 

Further down this Besek stream was a mill 
where grain was ground. The dam at this mill 
was built by Elihu Stow. We have no date as 
to thJfcime — probably near the year 1780. These 
t^vo mills were the only ones on this stream 
until, or near to, the time when the reservoir 
dam was built. 

RESERVOIR. 

The reservoir dam was l)uilt twenty-seven 
feet high in 1848-9, by those interested in manu- 
factures on this river and on the main river. In 
the fall of 1852 the dam was raised five feet, and 
in the fall of 1870 it was raised five feet higher, 
making the dam thirty-seven feet high. The pond 
now covers about one hundred and thirty-five 
acres. 

BUTTON FACTORY. 

The button shop occupied the first privilege 
on the Besek stream, and was built in the sum- 
mer of 1849. The machinery set to running the 



Btli of August of tlie same year. A profitable 
business was carried ou liere by different com- 
panies for years. " Miller, Coe & Bennett " the 
last company who made buttons here, hired the 
mill for ^ve years. 

WRINGER MANUFACTORIES. 

About the year 1820, Ira Bailey and Capt. 
Alfred Bailey built a distillery, next to the upper 
bridge on Besek river, and for about ten years 
Ira Bailey manufactured there New England 
rum, cider brandy, and a little whisky ; the high 
cost of rye prevented the extensive manufacture 
of whisky. About 1822 an addition was made 
to the distillery building, in which wool carding 
was carried on by Capt. Bailey, and later wood 
sawing and turning was done there. In 1848, 
the building was torn down, and in 1849 a new 
three-story building thirty feet by forty feet was 
erected on the same site, which was used by Capt. 
Bailey for a grist-mill, and about two years later 
it was used by Mark Mildrum & Co., as a machine 
shop for repair work, and for the manufacture of 
coal sho\^els. Next percussion caps were made 
here' by Arnold Watson, who was killed in an 
adjacent building by an explosion of percussion 
powder. Britannia ware was also made in the 
same building, at this time, by Hall & Cotton. 
Next, wood turning was again introduced, chiefly 
in the form of match safes, by William W. Bailey, 
and at the same time and in the same buildiniz 



28 

John O. Coucli made patent ii'on candle sticks. 
About 1857, David Lyman, owning tlie building, 
manufactured there the '^ Metropolitan Washing 
Machine," and later, a clothes wringing machine, 
and in November 1860 the '' Metropolitan Manu- 
facturing Co." was organized as ^'Metropolitan 
Washing Machine Co." This company, with 
extensive additions to the mill from time to time, 
added steam power, and about 1868 purchased 
the adjacent mills and water privileges above and 
below on the same stream, known as the '^ Button 
Shop" and the "Bone Mills," and houses were 
bought and others were built for homes for the 
workmen employed by this company, in the man- 
ufacture of clothes-wringers, washing machines, 
mangles, etc., of which as many as 15,000 ma- 
chines per month can be made. 

BONE-MILL. 

In 1845 Andrew Coe bes^an g-rindino; bone in 
the old grist-mill, just below where the " Wringer- 
Shop " now stands. About 1848 he added to the 
mill, and burnt bone for sugar refining till 1854, 
when Russell Coe of Meriden bought out and 
carried on the business. Subsequently this mill 
and privilege were purchased and are now used 
by the " Metropolitan Washing Machine Co." 

BONE AND PHOSPHATE MILL. 

Next below on the stream is a " Bone and 
Phosphate Mill" owned and operated by George 



29 

W. Miller. Phosphate and ground bone are 
made here. Tlie mill was hnilt in 1876. 

SAW-MILL. 

Just below the last mentioned mill is an old 
water privilege, now nnoccupied. It was for- 
merly used by Horace Skinner for wood-turning 
and afterward by lioswell Lee for a '^ Feed and 
Saw-mill." 

GRIST-MILL. 

Farther down on the stream a grist-mill was 
built in 1845. It was in operation from that 
time till the year 1868, when it was burned. 
The old overshot-wheel being water-soaked, was 
not burned, and is still standing. 

CARRIAGE SHOP. 

Next below is the carriage shop of Isaac H. 
Cornwell. This shop was built by Albert Skin- 
ner in the year 1853 for wood-turning of various 
kinds. In 1876 it ^v^as purchased by I. H. Corn- 
well, who is now engaged in the carriage-making 
business. 

POLITICAL HISTORY. 

Middlefield was a district of the town of Mid- 
dletown until the year 1866, when, by an act of 
the Legislature of the State of Connecticut, it 
was set off as a town. 

4 



30 

Representatives of the town of Middlefield to 
the State Legislature : 

Moses W. Terrill, - - - - - 1867 

Benjamin W. Coe, - - - - - 1868 

Phineas IVL Augur, . . - - . 1869 

Henry Smith, - - - - - - 1870 

Peter W. Bennett, - - - - - 1871 

Alvin B. Coe, 1872 

Alfred M. Bailey, 1873 

James T. Inglis, - - - - - - 1874 

Harvey Miller, - 1875 

John L. Wilbur, - - - - - - 1876 

Willis Terrill, ------ 1877 

Willis Terrill, - 1878 

Edwin P. Augur, - - - - - 1879 

Daniel H. Birdsey, ----- 1880 

John O. Couch, - - - - - - 1881 

Alva B. Coe, ------ 1883 

Moses W. Terrill, - - - - - 1883 




BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



"GOVERNOR" BENJAMIN MILLER. 

Benjamin Miller, one of the first three settlers 
in Middlefield, located himself in the south part, 
on the east side of Coginchaug or West river, 
and not far from the Durham line. The country 
then was wild, the soil unbroken by the white 
man's hand. Benjamin was a stout, athletic 
man, and capable of enduring hardships. All 
settlers in new countries have to endure much, 
and he was fitted by nature to be a pioneer. 
Forests were to be cleared, roads made, and 
bridges built while surrounded by Indians and 
wild beasts. The first settlers scarcely ever left 
their homes without taking their guns and dogs. 
Tradition says the title of " Governor " was con- 
ferred upon Benjamin by the early settlers partly 
because of his influence witli the Indians, partly 
on account of his being a large landholder and 
of influence in the settlement, and, no doubt, 
]iartly because of his character, which appears to 
have been of a dominant type. It is plain that 
Benjamin Miller the first was a man of great 
influence in the early history of Middlefield, l)oth 
from property and character, The Grand Levy 



32 

of Middlefield, A. D. 1747, makes liirn the 
largest property holder of the whole number 
of persons (62) snj3Ject to the grand levy. Ben- 
jamin Miller came from Miller's Farms, or South 
Farms, in 1700. He was the youngest son of 
Thomas Miller, who came from Birmingham, 
England, to Rowley, Mass., and thence to Mid- 
dletown. Conn. Thomas Miller was one of the 
early settlers of Middletown. He built the first 
grist-mill in that town. It stood where one of 
the manufactories of the Russell Manufacturing 
Company now stands at the " Farms." Benjamin 
came with a wife and several small children to 
settle in the wilds of Middlefield. After the 
death of his first wife (a Johnson from Wood- 
stock) he married Mercy Bassett from North 
Haven. In all he had fifteen children — seven by 
his first wife and eight by his second. From an 
old record in a Bible in Hezekiah Miller's family 
is copied the following : " Thomas Miller the 
first came from Birmingham, County of Worcester, 
England, and he had five sons and three daugh- 
ters — first, Thomas ; second, Joseph ; third, John ; 
fourth, Samuel ; fifth, Benjamin." 

A list of the names of the children of Benja- 
min Miller, son of Thomas the first : 

Rebecca, the oldest child, married a Robinson 
of Durham. 

Sarali married a Hicox of Duiham. 

Mary married a S[)encer of Haddam, 



33 

Benjamin, the oldest son, married Hannali 
Robinson of Durliam. 
' Hannah married Ephraim Coe of Durham. 

Isaac died unmarried. 

Mehitable, the seventh child, married a Barnes. 

Ichabod married a Stow of Middletown. 

Lydia married Eliakim Stow of Middletown. 

Amos married Abigail Cornwell of Middle- 
town. 

Ebenezer died unmarried. 

Martha married Thomas Atkins of Middle- 
town. 

Rhoda married Benjamin Bacon of Middle- 
town. 

David married Elizabeth Brainerd of Haddam. 

Thankful, the fifteenth child, died unmarried. 

SAMUEL ALLEN. 

Samuel Allen was one of the first three set- 
tlers of Middlefield. His house stood on the hill 
in the north part of the place, nearly opposite 
the Camp Coe house. It was subsecpiently 
owned by Deacon Giles Miller and later by 
Luman Wetmore. The last of the descendants 
of Allen were Ephraim and Ichabod, and they 
left Middlefield more than half a century ago. 
Once there were in Middlefield four families by 
the name of Allen — Samuel Allen, Obadiah 
Allen, Ebenezer Allen, and Widow Margaret 
Allen. 



34 



SAMUEL WETMORE. 

Samuel Wetmore settled near the center of 
Middlefield. The house stood nearly opposite 
the Methodist church. The well is there to this 
day, and yields good water. There were nine 
families by the name of Wetmore in Middlefield 
in 1747. All owned real estate. Samuel, 
Daniel, and Caleb were among the first settlers. 
It is probable that the other families were 
descendants of these three. Daniel and Caleb 
settled in the (now-called) Falls school district. 
Daniel's house stood a little west of the late John 
Dickenson's house. Deacon Caleb's house stood 
on the corner now (1881) in possession of 
Thomas Atkins. The old house was burned 
down more than eighty years ago and a new one 
erected in its place. Deacon Caleb Wetmore's 
daughter married Colonel Halyhigh at the close 
of the Revolutionary war, and Caleb Wetmore 
sold out and removed to New^York city. Jesse 
Wetmore, son of Daniel, took down the old one- 
story house and built the new one. He sold out 
in 1816 and moved with his family to the state 
of Ohio. 

AMOS MILLER. 

Amos Miller, son of " Governor " Benjamin 
Miller, married Abigail Cornwell. His children 
were : Ebenezer ; Amos, who married Elizabeth 
Tibbals ; Abigail, who married Jesse Coe ; Daniel 
married Elizabeth Hall of Middletown : Elisha 



36 

maiTied Elizabeth Miller of Middletown ; Joseph 
unmarried. 

ELISHA MILLER. 

Elisha Miller was a son of Amos Miller and a 
grandson of Benjamin Miller the first. Elisha 
settled on the hill now owned and occupied 
(1881) by his son, Colonel Amos Miller. Elisha 
took down the old house and built the present 
one in its stead in 1795 or thereabouts. He mar- 
ried his cousin, Elizabeth Miller. Their children 
were : Abel, Abigail, Elizabeth, Jerusha, Mary, 
Esther, Elisha, Eunice, Ira, George, Amos. Elisha 
Miller had fine orchards of fruit trees. He was 
one of the early Methodists, and was a man of 
sound judgment. 

HEZEKIAH MILLER. 

Hezekiah Miller was a grandson of Benjamin 
Miller the first, and settled on the east and west 
road, north of his grandfather's. (He was the 
son of David, who was the son of Benjamin the 
first, who was the youngest son of Thomas Mil- 
ler, who came from Bii'mingham, England, about, 
the year 1660 and settled in Middletown, South 
Farms, or '' Millers' Farms," as it was first called.) 
Hezekiah Miller married Sarah Basse tt of New 
Haven. Their children were : Bradley, Benja- 
min, Hiram, Harriet, Clara, and two children who 
died in infancy. After the decease of his first 
wife he married a sister of hers, and moved to 



36 

North Haveiij where he spent the remainder of 
his life. 

ISAAC MILLER. 

Isaac Miller was a man of note in Middleiield, 
and was the first one who held the office of 
justice of the peace in the society. He was the 
son of Benjamin, who was the oldest son of 
'^ Governor " Benjamin Miller. His mother was 
Hannah Robinson of Durham. Isaac was born 
February 1, 1738, and married Hannah (daugh- 
ter of Deacon Joseph Coe,) who was born May 
9, 1748. 

Their oldest son was Phinehas, who was born 
January 22, 1764. He was a physician and set- 
tled in Georgia. He married Catherine, the 
widow of General Nathaniel Greene.^' 

Isaac was born March 21, 1766, and married 
Irene, daughter of Lieutenant Ichabocl Miller. 
He settled in Paris, N. Y. 

Hannah, the eldest daughter, was born August 
3, 1768, and was married to Phineas, the oldest 
son of Mr. Samuel Johnson of Berlin, Conn. 
There they lived for a time, then moved to Ohio. 

Anne was born February 19, 1771, and was 
married to Obed Stow of Middlefield, son of Mr. 
Elihu Stow. 

*It is related that the children of Gen. Greene, being on a visit at 
"Grandfather Miller's," and having free access to a cellar well 
stocked with apples, came with their hands full of a certain kind, 
and said, " Grandpa, these are the best apples in the cellar! " This 
was the beginning of the fame of the favorite "Progress" apple, 
which went for some time by the name of "Squire Miller's best 
sort." 



37 

Olive was born July, 1773, and was mar- 
ried to Aslier, son of Amos Wetmore, Esq., of 
WliitestoAvn, N. Y. 

Rutli was born March 31, 1776, and was mar- 
ried to Eliliu, son of Mr. Benjamin Birdsey of 
MiddMeld. 

Curtis was born July 9, 1779, and died March 
31, 1775. 

Samuel was born January 22, 1782, and was 
married to Mary Grilbert, daughter of Benjamin 
Gilbert of Newfields. 

Lucretia was born July 1, 1784, and married 
Captain Charles Hubbard of Middletown. He 
was a sea-captain, and died in the West Indies. 
Lucretia afterwards married Marvin Thomas of 
Haddam. 

Cornelia was born September 1, 1790, and 
died March 18, 1795. 

Isaac Miller settled a little north of the Abel 
Birdsey house, the place latterly known as the 
"Thomas place." He died July 27, 1817, aged 
79 years. 

CAPT. CHARLES HUBBARD. 

Capt. Hubbard married Lucretia, daughter of 
Isaac Miller, Esq. He was a sea-captain, and 
died in the AVest Indies. 

The children of Charles and Lucretia Miller 
Hubbard were, Henry, who died while a student 
in Wesleyan University. 

Isaac, who married in New Hartford, Oneida 



88 

Co., N. Y., and removed with liis wife and chil- 
dren to California, where he died. 

William, who married Mary Mills of Morris, 
town, N. Y., and settled in Indianapolis, Ind., 
where he still lives, having a family of four 
daughters and three sons. 

Hannah, who married William D. Walcott, 
Esq., of Whitestown, N. Y. (Mr. Waleott is one 
of the proprietors of the well known " New York 
Mills.") They have three sons and three 
daughters. 

LIEUT. ICHABOD MILLER. 

Lieut. Ichabod Miller was son of Ichabod the 
first, who was a son of '' Gov." Benjamin Miller 
(one of the first settlers of Middlefield). Lieut. 
Ichabod Miller married Elizabeth Bacon of New- 
fields. 

Their children were, Irene, who married Isaac, 
son of Isaac Miller, Esq. 

R-hoda, who married William Babbitt. 

Sally, who married Jonathan Turner. 

Elizabeth, who died unmarried. 

Jesse, who married Susan Wetmore, and after 
her death, Mrs. Sarah Pryor. 

Jeremiah, who married Mary Ives. 

ICHABOD MILLER, JR. 

Ichabod Miller, Jr., was the son of Lieut. 
Ichal)od Miller, and through father and grand- 
father, a direct descendant of Benjamin, the first. 
He was born Jan, 25, 1771, and married Sarah 



E. Birdsey, who was bora Jan. 18, 1776. He 
lived in the north district of Middlefield not far 
from where the North School House now stands. 
He was a vigorous, active man, and a constant 
worker. He was not sparing enough of his 
physical powers, and died at the age of 58. 

The children of Ichabod and Sarah Miller 
were, Electa, born July 3, 1796. 

Martha, born April 15, 1799. 

Sarah E., born July 31, 1802. 

David B., born March 5, 1805. 

Louisa, born Oct. 1, 1807. 

Ichabod, born March 13, 1810. 

Jesse, born April 17, 1815. 

Elbert, born May 20, 1818. 

JESSE MILLER. 

Jesse Miller was the son of Lieut. Ichabod 
Miller and therefore a great-grandson of Benja- 
min Miller the first. He married Susan Wetmore. 

Their children wei'e, Almon, who married 
Sarah E. Miller, daughter of Ichabod Miller. 

Asher, who married Mary Coe. 

Charles, who married Emily Cookman. 

George, who died unmarried. 

Jesse Miller moved, after his marriage, fi^om 
Middlefield to Turin, N. Y. 

ALMON MILLER. 

Almon Miller, son of Jesse Miller (who was 
the son of Lieut. Ichabod Miller) married Sarah 
E. Miller. The following is from an obituary 



40 

notice published in the "Middletown Gonstitu- 
tlon'' of Jan. 9, 1883: 

" Almon Miller was born in Turin, New York, 
Aug. 30, 1802, and died in Middlefield, Dec. 31, 
1882. He was well known in the cit}^ of New 
York, having been in active business there for 
twenty years, meeting with success, and also the 
reverses incident to business men ; yet never, in 
prosperity or adversity, did he lose his good 
name for honesty and integrity, which charac- 
terized his large business transactions. Benevo- 
lent and charitable in disposition, always ready 
to help the poor and friendless, many a poor 
child and orphan have found a shelter beneath 
his hospitable roof. He will long be remem- 
bered by those who were the recipients of his 
bounty in their early days." 

GILES MILLER. 

Dea. Giles Miller settled in the north part of 
Middlefield. Thouo-h not one of the earliest 
settlers, yet being a prominent man, he deserves 
an honorable place in this history. He was a de- 
scendant of Thomas Miller the first, through his 
son Joseph, brother of Benjamin ('' Gov." Miller). 
Thomas Miller, the first, came from Massachusetts 
to Middletown, and settled in South Farms, soon 
after the settlement of Middletown. Dea. Giles 
Miller and family were of the Congregational 
order, and exerted a strong religious influence in 
the community. This tribute to their character is 



41 

paid by one of their descendants. " Puritans, 
^\'it]l all that tlie name implies, whether good or 
bad, in politics or faith. So far as I know, or 
have ever heard, no stain ever rested on the name 
or character of any of them. This, A\dth tlie 
sterling qualities that belonged to the Puritans 
of that day, is the only inheritance of which their 
descendants can have any title to be proud, and 
the only thing of which I take pleasure in saying 
that I am proud." 

The childi*en of Dea. Giles Miller were, 

Asher. 

Phineas. 

Giles. 

Thankful, wife of Pi'osper Augur. 

Elizabeth, wife of Col, Elisha Coe. 

ASHER MILLER. 

Asher Miller, son of Dea. Giles Miller, removed 
from Middlefield to the city of Middletown. 
He was Mayor of the. city. Judge of Probate, and 
Representative in the General Assembly of the 
State of Connecticut. All these offices of trust 
he filled to the acceptance of the people. Tlie 
following is copied from "Fields' Centennial 
Address : " 

''Asher Miller, a native of the Parish of Mid- 
dlefield, belonged to a class in Yale College 
which was graduated in 1778, and has always 
been admired for the amount of talent it con- 
tained, lie ranked well in his class.and after he 



42 

left college made himself acquainted witt 
geology, mineralogy, and cliemistry, mucli beyond 
scholars generally, at that time. He became a 
lawyer, and the people here esteemed and hon- 
ored him. Though it is not likely that he began 
to practice law before 1780, yet in 1785 he was 
elected a Representative to the Legislature, and 
repeatedly afterward ; and the Legislature so 
esteemed him for his knowledge of law and his 
integrity, that in 1793 they appointed him a 
Judge of the Superior Court. He resigned his 
seat in 1795. Sometime after, he went to the 
South to survey a tract of wild land about the 
mouth of the Yazoo River, for a company who 
were hoping out of that land to realize a fortune. 
He was a2:ain elected to the Le^-islature, was lono; 
an assistant, and for many years presiding Judge 
of the County Court and of Pi'obate. 

GILES MILLER. 

Giles Miller, son of Dea. Giles Miller, left Mid- 
dlefield and Avent to Westmoreland, N. Y., leav- 
ing his son Giles in Middlefield, a settler in the 
part now called Falls District. His son Abner 
went with him to Westmoreland. A grandchild 
says : " My two grandfathers were zealous on the 
side of the Colonies in the contest for independ- 
ence. My grandfather Giles, as I have always 
heard, was a soldier in the army, under Wash- 
ington, and was in the engagements on Long 
Island and around the city of New York." 



43 

Giles Miller married Jennie Malcolm, wlio was 
of Scotch descent. Their children were Abner, 
Asher, Giles, Edmund, Eunice, and Harriet. 

GILES MILLER. 

Giles Miller, son of Giles Miller and grandson 
of Dea. Giles Miller, settled in that part of Mid- 
dlefield now called Falls District. He married 
Clarissa Miller, daughter of William Miller, Jr. 
Their children were : 

Lewis, Maria, 

Frederick, Ellsworth, 

Asher, Oliver, 

Emily, Franklin. 

WILLIAM MILLER. 

In the early years of Middlefield, William 
Miller, born in Middlefield and son of James 
and Kachel Try on Miller, and grandson of 
Thomas Miller (who was brother of ''Gov." Ben- 
jamin), married a daughter of Ambrose Clark 
of Long Hill. (Ambrose Clark was one of the 
earliest settlers of Long Hill, and was called 
" Lord Am," on account of his being so great a 
land holder.) William Miller occupied, for a 
time, the liomestead of Ambrose Clark, and most 
of his children were born at the Clark house. 
He sold out the homestead to Ithamar Atkins, 
removed back to Middlefield, and built a grist- 
mill at the '' Falls," where the cotton factory now 



44 

stands, about tlie year 1775. Tlie mill ceased 
grinding about the year 1800. ' 

JACOB MILLER. 

Jacob Miller, son of William Miller, was born 
m 1744 (the record says '^ most of the children of 
William Miller were born at the homestead of 
his father-in-law, Ambrose Clark of Long Hill "). 
Jacob Miller and Joshua Stow built a saw-mill 
in the place of the old grist-mill of William 
Miller. Jacob Miller had also a fulling mill 
under the saw-mill, he being a cloth dresser. 
His shop, for dressing cloth, stood on the south 
bank of the West river, just over the bridge near 
the falls, and near a rivulet which was handy for 
dyeing and rinsing cloth. He was a man of 
great vigor and activity. A grandchild of his 
well remembers his running after his cows at the 
age of 82. He lived to the advanced age of 92. 
He never had a physician until he was over 70. 
If he was sick he would take no medicine, but 
would go without eating until he got well. He 
married Mary Crowell of Long Hill. He lias 
been heard to remark that he ^'drew a prize 
when he got Mary Crowell." 

The children of Jacob Miller and Mary Cro- 
well -Miller were : 

elacol), who married Ruth Camp, daughter of 
Luke C/amp and grand-daughter of David Coe. 

Horace, who married Harriet Barnes. 

Sally, who married Eeuben Hall of Walling- 
foi-d. 



45 

Eunice, who married Noel Ives. 

Mary (Polly), who married Jacob Atkins of 
Long Hill. 

Jolm Willard, who married, first, Betsey Ives ; 
second, Mrs. Polly Miller. 

JACOB MILLER, Jii. 

Jacob Miller, son of Jacob Miller, was born in 
Middlefield in 1781. He married Eiith Camp 
(daughter of Luke and Grace Coe Camp, and 
grand-daughter of David and Hannah Coe of 
Middlefield). Jacob Miller settled in the Falls 
District, not far from his father's home, on prop- 
erty once owned by Dea. Caleb Wetmore, one of 
the early settlers in Middlefield. The old house 
occupied by Caleb Wetmore was burned down 
eighty or ninety years ago, and a new one erected 
in its place. (About fifty years ago, Thomas 
Atkins, w^ho married the daughter of Jacob 
Miller, Jr., refashioned the house and built a 
new barn on the premises.) Jacob Miller, though 
inheriting a strong and enduring constitution 
from his parents, died at the age of 35 from 
exposure to cold after the measles had begun to 
develop in his system. Considering the measles 
not worth minding, he went about his employ- 
ment, which was that day one of peculiar 
exposure. 

The children of Jacob and Ruth Miller were : 
Lucy, who married Thomas Atkins of Long 
Hill. 

5* 



46 

Aslier, who mari'ied Sarah Cornwell of New- 
fields. 

HORACE MILLER 

Horace Miller, second sou of Jacob Miller, 
married Harriet Barnes, and settled at the home- 
stead of his father. He died in the prime and 
vigor of manhood, at the age of 37, of epidemic 
typhoid, in the year 1825. The year 1825 was 
called the '^ sickly year " in Middlefield. Seven- 
teen persons, all in the strength of man and 
womanhood, were swept down by typhus fever. 
One who lived at that day says that for a long 
distance, extending through a considerable of 
the northeastern part of Middlefield, there was 
one sick in almost every house. It is noteworthy 
that the fever succeeded a season of excessive 
drought. 

Horace Miller left his wife with six children, 
the eldest not 13, the youngest an infant. The 
following in regard to this mother is quoted 
from the pen of one of her daughters : '' My 
mother was a very energetic woman. She was 
obliged to manage the farm, and attend to all her 
other duties. I well remember her going 1^ miles 
to feed and take care of the cattle, when it was 
so cold and stormy that her clothes were frozen 
stiff u[)on her. She was always cheerful and 
hajipy, and left no stone unturned to make others 
happy. She was very active until the last of 
her life. She was 83 when she passed a\vay, and 
the summer previous she was spending a few 



47 

days with lier children ou Long Island, Avliere 
they had a party of young people, and she 
danced with one of her grand-children." 

The children of Horace Miller and Harriet 
Barnes Miller were : 

Augustus, who married Lavinia Bristol and 
moved to Ohio. 

Horace, who married Laura Hale, grand- 
daughter of Joshua Stow. 

Harriet A., who married Charles R. Miller and 
moved to Ohio, afterward to East New York. 

Mary, who married Morris C. Burch of New 
York City. 

Jacob, who married Mrs. Elizabeth Bobinson 
(before her first marriage, Elizabeth Soloman). 

JOHN WILLARD MILLER. 

John Willard, youngest son of Jacob Miller, 
settled near his father, and carried on the cloth- 
dressing business several years after his father 
gave it up. He married Betsey Ives, who died 
of typhus fever in the year 1825. 

The children of J. AVillard and Betsey Ives 
Miller were : 

Charles, v/ho married Rich of Durham. 

Harvey, (Capt.) 

Maria, who married Henry Miller of Middlefield. 

For his second wife, J. Willard Miller married 
Mrs. Polly Miller. Of this union there was one 
child, Louisa. 



48 



TALCOT. 



The Talcots were early settlers in Middlefield. 
They bought the most eastern section of land 
lying in the parish ; it joined the Bacons' section 
in Long Hill. The Talcots sold out long ago 
and moved to the Black River country, N. Y. 
In 1747, we find the names of John Talcot and 
Hezekiah Talcot, land-holders. 

RICE. 

Hezekiah Rice bought the house and farm of 
the Talcots ; he married Lydia Stow and settled 
there. Their children were Betsey, Harriet, and 
Martina ; he sold his home farm to Samuel Bird- 
sey, and built a house west, on a corner lot, not 
far from half a mile from his old residence. 
Subsecj^uently, he sold his place to his son-in-law 
George R. Miller, and moved to Meriden. 

CHILSON. 

John Chilson was an early settler in Middle- 
field ; he owned land in the South School District, 
on the hill. There is land now called Chilson 
land. John Chilson died in 1747; Asaph Chil- 
son's wife died Sept. 5, 1761 ; Hope Chilson was 
the last of the Chilsons. It is supposed the rest 
moved away. Hope Chilson died Nov. 3, 1803. 

CAMP. 

Abi'aliam Camp, and Edward Camp, were 
early settlers in Middlefiekl; they came from 



49 

Durham. Edward Camp had a freehokl estate 
in 1747, £86, Is.; Abraham Camp £63, 12s. 
Edward Camp's house stood near the brook, on 
the main road, near where stands the "Turning 
Shop." There were two Camp houses in the 
East School District ; one, the Faii'chikl Camp 
house, owned by Dennis Coe (a new one erected 
in its place in 18 — ). Fairchild Camp sold out 
and moved to Durham. The other Camp house 
is owned by the '* Russell Manufacturing Com- 
pany," and is quite an old house. The Camps 
have all faded out of Middlefield, and no one of 
the honored name of these ancient families is left. 

HUBBARD. 

Ebenezer Hubbard was an early settler in 
Middleheld ; his house ^vas in the North School 
District; his property in 1747 was rated at £64, 
6s. He was a descendant of — Hubbard, one of 
the early settlers in Middletown. There were 
several other families by the name of Hubbard 
in Middlefield ; Elijah Hubbard" and Jedediah 
Hubbard, these last-named perhaps children of 
Ebenezer the 1st. These early settlers are all gone. 
Submit Hubbard was the last ; she died March 
2, 1825, aged 83 years. 

HALE. 

Hezekiah Hale, though not among the earliest 
settlers, was a prominent man in the Society. 
His house stood on Jackson Hill, nearly opposite 
the Joseph Coe house. He was sexton for many 
years (see in the table his record of the dead.) 



50 

Hezekiah Hale, oldest child of Hezekiah the 
1st and Rachel Hale, was born Oct. 31st, 1778, 
and married Nancy Miller, born April 6th, 1786. 
Joseph Hale, son of Hezekiah and Rachel Hale, 
married Julia, daughter of Joshua Stow. 

TURNER 

Stephen Turnei' was an early settler in Middle- 
field ; he lived in the north school district. He 
was from the 1st Society ; his property in 1747 
was set in the Grand Levy at £81, 18s. He 
died in 1780. There was Jonathan Turner, son 
of Stephen, and several other families that sprang 
from Stephen the 1st. Capt. Stephen Turner died 
Aug. 10, 1804. There were Joel and Jonathan 
Turner. The name of Turner died out in 
Middlefield at the decease of Edward Turner. 

GUILD. 

There were two Guild families in Middlefield 
in 1747, and still farther back; Jeremiah and 
Samuel. They had children and I'elatives buried 
in the " Old Burying Ground." The Guilds left 
Middlefield many years ago, and moved to Litch- 
field county, Connecticut. 

HAWLEY. 

There were several families by the name of 
Hawley in Middlefield among the early settlers. 
Stow Hawley and Samuel Hawley in the North 
School District, Seth Hawley and Miller Hawley 
in the East School District. Samuel Hawley 
died at the age of 66, May 14, 1820, after mak- 
ing quite a display on the new turnpike road 



61 

from Middletown to Meriden, and on the cwners 
in buildings where stood the " toll gate." The 
other Hawley families moved away ; one to Clin- 
ton, and one to Guilford. 

DR. JEHIEL HOADLEY. 

Jehiel Hoadley of Northford, graduate of Yale 
College in 1768, married Hannah Hall of Wal- 
lingf ord, and settled on the '' Wm, Bii'dsey place " 
in Middlefield, where he spent his professional 
life. He made a specialty of colic curing, as 
many did in that day. He was one of the orig- 
inal members of tlie County "Medical Society," 
from which lie wa-s dismissed at his request, to 
get rid of the taxes. He was called a good doc- 
tor in the place. His wife died Jan. 1, 1810, and 
he died the following March 2, 1810, aged 66. 

BIRDSEY. 

John Birdsey, the first, came from England to 
Stratford, Fairfield Co., Conn., and from thence 
removed to Middlefield. He was an early 
settler, but not among the earliest. He pur- 
chased a large quantity of wild land.. One tract 
lay in the southwest part of Middlefield, and the 
other tract in the north or northeast part. The 
greater part of this last-mentioned tract lay in 
Westfield Society. It is said there were 500 
acres in this piece. The price paid for this land 
was two dollars per acie. It comprised a part 
of "Bald's Falls" hill. The land that John 



52 

Birdsey and his sons settled upon was the tract 
first named. This land was bounded east on the 
center road of Middlefield, and some part of it 
extended west to the mountain. John Birdsey 
built a log house on the corner (as the new road 
would make it), and subsequently he built a two- 
story framed house, which after his decease was 
owned and occupied by his son Abel. The 
house was torn down some years aoro. It is 
related of John Birdsey and his wife that they 
were very godly people. The Birdseys were a 
tall, strong race. This anecdote was told by 
a ■ great-grand-daughter of Benjamin Miller : 
" One winter, in the early days when the 
times were pinching and money scarce, John 
Birdsey bought of his neighbor, Benjamin 
Miller, a number of bushels of wheat. Not hav- 
ing the money ready to pay for it, he took off 
his coat and gave that in payment, and wore a 
woolen frock during the winter." The same 
lady related this reminiscence of Mrs. John 
Birdsey, that during this straightened time she 
went into the woods to gather wool that had 
chanced to catch on the bushes, to knit an odd 
stocking for her little boy, who had burned one 
of his accidentally. 

JOHN BIRDSEY, 2d. 

John Birdsey, the second, settled a little south 

of the Lyman house. He married Smith 

of Long Island. Their children were Jolui, 
Phebe, liuth, Sally.— 



53 

JOHN BIRDSEY, 3d. 

John, the third, settled on the homestead of 
his father. He married Esther Coe. 

DAVID BIRDSEY. 

Capt. David Birdsey settled on the hill west 
of the railroad crossing. His children were 
Sarah, and two children who died in infancy. 
He lived, seemingly cheerful and happy, on this 
salubrious and lonely high hill. His first ^vdfe 
died in 1804. He married again, and his second 
wife died in 1818. 

GERSHOM BIRDSEY. 

Gershom Birdsey settled a little south of the 
David Coe place, where the post-office is now kept 
by the Rev. Mr. Jewett. He married Lucy Coe, 
daughter of Squire Eli Coe. Their children were 
Samuel, Gershom 2d, Eunice, Sarah, Charity. — 
It may be interesting to state that the property 
of Gershom Birdsey was settled according to the 
English law, the eldest son inheriting a double 
portion. Consequently Samuel Birdsey, the eld- 
est, drew a double share. It is said this was the 
last property settled in Connecticut after this 
law. 

ABEL BIRDSEY. 

Abel Birdsey settled on the old homestead of 
his father, John, the first. His children were 
William, Seth. — His wife died in December, 
1791. He married a second wife by the name of 
Skinner, who died in 1846. 



54 

BENJAMIN BIRDSEY. 

Benjamin Birdsey settled not far from tlie 
Middlefield Falls. His liouse stood a little back 
of the house now occupied by Lewis Miller, and 
was burned down in 18 — . He married twice. 
His first wife was a Hall, from Wallingford. 
Their children were Elihu, and a child who died 
in infancy. His second wife was a Meriam. 
Their children were John, Elisha, Benjamin, 
Lucy, and Abigail. 

OLD POMP. 

Old Pom23, a slave of John Birdsey, was left 
in the care of Abel Birdsey. He died in 1831. 
He was blind and quite old when he died. He 
was the last of the slaves in Middletown. After 
he was old and blind, he w^as once found build- 
ing his fire with the back-log against the closet 
door, thinking it to be the fire-place. It was dis- 
covered in time to save him and the house. Old 
Pomp was a well-known and appreciated charac- 
ter in liis day. 

FREEMAN. 

David Freeman, rather an eccentric man, died 
in 182(). He lived several years in an old Wet- 
more liouse, where now stands the Methodist 
parsonage. He had a collection of many odd 
and curious things. He spent his last days in 
^li Coe's house on Powder Hill. 

PARSONS. 

The Parsons were early settlers in Middlefield. 
They lived in the East School District. In the 



55 

list of 1747 are found the names of Aaron Par- 
sons, Moses Parsons, Simeon Parsons, ItLamar 
Parsons, and Timothy Parsons, all landholders. 
No one in the district is now known by the 
name. All gone, long ago. 

JOHN LYMAN. 
John Lyman was an early settler in Middle- 
field. He came from Durham in 1741, and 
settled on the farm which is now in the Lyman 
family. This farm has been in the possession of 
the family for about a hundred and twenty-four 
years. It was purchased (in part) in 1741 by 
Jolm Lyman, then 24 years old, of Ephraim Coe 
of Middlefield (afterward of Durham), who, in the 
deed describing one of the pieces of land, says, 
^'lately bought of Benjamin Miller." (Epliraim 
Coe married Hannah, a daughter of Benjamin 
C' Gov.") Miller.) It is undetermined who was 
the builder of the first Lyman house. It was a 
" lean-to house," and stood eight or ten rods south- 
east of the present home. "Thomas, the grand- 
father of John, was born in Windsor, Conn., about 
1649, removed to Northampton, Mass., and thence 
to Durham, between 1708 and 1715. Richard, 
the grandfather of Thomas, was born in High 
Ongar, England, twenty -five miles northeast of 
London, in 1580, and arrived in Boston, with l^i^ 
wife and five children, Nov. 4, 1631, in the 
shij) ' Lyon,' in which came also the Rev. John 
Eliot, ' Apostle to the Indians ;' also the wife of 
Governor Winthrop, his eldest son, and wife, and 



56 

other families, in all about sixty persons. They 
Avere ten weeks at sea. Richard Lyman lived 
first in Chariest own and Roxbury ; joined the 
church of Eliot in Roxbury, and in 1635 came 
Avith a party of about a hundred, through the 
woods, in fourteen days, to Hartford, where he 
died in 1640." 

DAVID LYMAN. 

David Lyman, son of John Lyman, succeeded 
him, and settled on the homestead. He was 
colonel of a regiment of cavalry in 1810^ or near 
that time. He took down the old house and 
built a new one on the same site. He died in 
1815. 

WILLIAM LYMAN. 

William Lyman, son of David Lyman and 
grandson of John Lyman, settled on the home- 
stead of David his father. He was born Aug. 
21, 1783, and died of pneumonia Jan. 28, 1869. 
He was one of those who formed the Congrega- 
tional Church in Middlefield in 1808, and was 
always one of its pillars. In the temperance 
movement he early took a decided stand, giving 
up the use of all intoxicating chinks, and banish- 
ing from his hospitable home the custom of oifer- 
in«: even wine and cider to o:uests. When he 
told his mother, whose home was in his family, 
that he had decided upon this step, she with 
great astonishment in her manner said, '' Why 
William ! not when Mr. Watkinson and Uncle 
Micah come ? " The Congregational parsonage 



57 

was proLably the first building raised in Middle- 
fieki without I'um (1831 or '32). Good men in the 
church pleaded with tears for the old custom^ 
and when they found that Mr. Lyman was 
immovable in his purpose, so many went home 
grieved, angry, disgusted, that the raising could 
not be finished that day. In the anti-slavery 
contest he was no less earnest and enthusiastic, 
and ready, ever, to speak and act as his con- 
science dictated, though by doing so he often 
incurred the censure of even good men, and 
became as unpopular as other Abolitionists. As 
a neighbor and in his family, he was kind, tender, 
and generous. Ever ready to submit to incon- 
venience for the sake of others, he was a gentle- 
man of the old school ; a school which no modern 
manners have ever excelled in courtly politeness 
or genuine courtesy. He was a cousin of Dr. 
Lyman Beecher, both being grandsons of John 
Lyman, the 1st of the Middlefield Lymans. 

His wife was Alma Coe, daughter of Col. 
Elisha Coe. She was, like her husband, of strong 
mind and excellent character. She died in 1875, 
in her ninetieth year. Great age has been com- 
mon in Middlefield. Their children were : 

Phineas. 

Adeline. 

Elizabeth, who married Rev. Chas. L. Mills. 

David, who married C/atherine Hart. 

Sarah, who married Kev. James T. Dickinson. 

Elilm. 

Adeline Urania. 

f.* 



58 

DAVID LYMAN. 

Djivid Lyman, son of William Lyman, settled 
at tlie homestead of bis father. He was born in 
Middlefield, Oct. 19, 1820, and married Catherine 
E. Hart of Guilford, Conn., Jan. 30, 1849. He 
died at his home in Middleiield, Jan. 24, 1871, 
aged 50 years and 3 months. From the numer- 
ous obituary notices which appeared in the 
journals of Middletown, New Haven, Hartford, 
and other places, the following is selected from 
the Bennington, Vt., Free Press^ of Feb. 4, 1871. 
" He received a good common school education, 
supplemented by a little academical instruction. 
At the age of nineteen, he ^vas sent by the 
Messrs. Trowbridge of New Haven, to Kentucky, 
to purchase mules for them for the West India 
market, and by them and the house of ^ Alsop 
&> Chauncey ' of New York, he was kept at 
this work for sevei-al years. For a short time he 
followed it on his own account. At twenty- 
seven he was appointed to the trusteeship of a 
large estate. In the management of this trust, 
which he held up to the time of his death, his 
great capacity for business was called into con- 
stant requisition. Before long a legal controversy 
arose, concerning certain dispositions of the will, 
and this controversy ran for ten years through 
the courts of Connecticut, and New York, and 
tlie United States Circuit Court. At the end of 
this litigation, in which some of the most distin- 
guished lawyers of the land were employed, 



59 

Judge Nelson of the United States Supreme 
Coui-t, in giving a decision of the case at New 
Haven, said of him, 'His conduct presents a 
conspicuous instance of great capacity, fidelity, 
and success, in the discharge of the difficult and 
responsible duties confided to him l)y the 
deceased, under the will ; and calls for the com- 
mendation of this court. We have rarely known 
an instance of such faithful, conscientious, and 
accurate performance of the duties of trustee, and 
in view of the fact that trust estates are so often, 
through incompetence or unfaitli fulness, wasted, 
we feel it our duty to give the conduct of this 
trustee the marked approval of this court.' His 
chief business for the last ten years of his life 
was the manufacture of clothe8-^vringers. For 
the last four years, ho\ve\'er, he had little to do 
with the active management of this business, his 
^vhole time being absorbed — so completely as to 
shorten his days — by his interest in tlie New 
Haven, MiddletoAvn & Willimantic 11. 11., of 
which he was president. The corporate authori- 
ties of the two cities of Middletown and New 
Haven, as a tribute to his memory, passed, each, 
a series of resolutions in appreciation of his labors 
and faithfulness. One of the New Haven resolu- 
tions was as follows : ' l\esolved, That in the 
death of David Lyman, the public at large are 
called upon to deplore the loss of a true man, 
eminently faithful in the discharge of every duty, 
attending to every trust connnitted to his care ; 



60 

genial, earnest, full of liope, inspiring others witli 
his enthusiasm; who carried to substantial con- 
clusion that great enterprise, the Air Line Rail- 
road, a work of inestimable benefit to this city.' " 

PROSPEP AUGUR. 

Prosper Augur, son Isaac Augur, settled in 
the northwest part of Middlefield. The following 
is from his family record : 

"^^ 1. Robert Augur, who came over to the 
New Haven Colony, from England, married Mary 
Gilbert, daughter of Lieut.-Gov. Gilbert, Nov. 20, 
1673. 

2. His son John, who married Elizabeth Brad- 
ley, ino. 

S. His son Isaac, who married Eunice Tyler of 
Haddam (they having twelve children). 

4. Prosper, one of Isaac's sons who settled in 
Middlefield, and married Thankful, daughter of 
Dea. Giles Miller." 

Their children were, 

Elizabeth, who married Comfort Johnson. 

Sally, who married Luman Wetmore. 

Polly, who was unmarried. 

Phineas, an only son, who settled in tlie neigh- 
borhood of his father, and married Esther Kirby, 
of Upper Houses (now the town of Cromwell). 

Prosper Augur was a man of sound mind, self 
educated ; for many years a deacon of the Con- 
gregational Church of Middlefield. He was a 
man of nuich stability of character, sterling 
integrity, and great usefulness. 



61 
PHINEAS AUGUR. 

Pliineas Augur, son of Prosper Augur, at the 
age of sixteen, commenced teacliing-; at the close 
of his first examination before Dr. David Dudley 
Field, of Haddam, the D'^cto^- quoted Timothy 
'^Let no man despise thy /^Jiitli." After teaching 
very successfully for several years, he died in 
early manhood, in Nov., 1825, of epidemic typhus 
fever, which prevailed in Middlefield that season. 

PHINEAS M. AUGUR. 

Phineas M. Augur, son of Pliineas, settled at 
the home of his father. He married Lucy E. 
Parmelee of Guilford, Conn. 

f CAPT. DAVID COE. 

David Coe was an early settler in Middlefield. 
He was the son of Lieut. Joseph Coe of Durham, 
grandson of John Coe of Stratford, and great- 
grandson of John the fii-st, son of lloLert Coe of 
England, who came to New England in 1 631. * 

Robert Coe, the first in America, sailed from 
Ipswich and probably came from Norfolk, this 
being the nearest shipping port. He came in the 
ship ^'Frances" in the year 1634. His age was 
38, that of his wife Ann, 43, his son John, 8, 
Robert^ 7, and Benjamin, 5. He settled in 
Watertown, Mass., in 1634, where he was made 
a freeman, Sept. 3d of that year. In 1635 or 6 
he removed to Wethersfield, Conn., and thence in 

* According to "Burke's Heraldry" all the members of this 
family of distinction resided in Norfolk Co., England. 



62 

1650 to Stamford or Stratford. In 1662 lie 
j'enioved to Hempstead or Jamaica, Long Island, 
in New York Jurisdiction. He was made sheriff 
in 1669, whicli office he held until 1672, 

His children were, 

John, born about 1626, in England. 

Robert, born about 1627, in England. 

Benjamin, born about 1629, in England. 

John, son of Robert and Ann Coe, came to 
New England in 1634, with his parents, and to 
Wethersfield, and Stratford, and was of Newtown, 
Long Island, in 1655, and of Greenwich, Conn., 
in 1660, and that year was one of the (original) 
purchasers of Rye, New York. He was Captain, 
and was appointed a magistrate by Connecticut, 
and was representative to the " General Court of 
Connecticut," from Newtown in 1664. He was 
of Stratford in 1685. 

His children were, 

John. 

Robert. 

Jonathan. 

Samuel. 

David. 

John, son of John the first, married in Stratfoi'd, 
Dec. 20, 1682, Mary, daughter of Joseph Hawley 
of Stratford. His eldest four sons settled in 
Durham, Conn., where they had families. John 
died April 19, 1741. 

His children were, 

Robert, born Sept. 21, 1684, 



6^ 

Joseph, bom Feb. 2, 1686. 

Hannah, born April 14, 1689. 

Mary, born Aug. 11, 1691. 

John, born Dec. 5, 1693. 

Sarah, born March 26, 1696. 

Ephraim, born Dec. 18, 1698. 

Catherine, b. Sept. 23, 1700. 

Abigail, b. Nov. 11, 1702. 

Ebenezer, b. Aug. 18, 1704.'^ 

Capt. David Coe's house stood on the spot 
where the Kev. Mr. Jewett now keeps the post- 
office. His son Eli Coe took down the old house 
and built the present one on its site. David Coe 
was a brother of Joseph Coe, who settled on the 
hill north. David Coe married Hannah, daugh- 
ter of Nathan Camp of Durham (one of the 
proprietors of the town). She was a zealous 
christian and an earnest supporter of the Con- 
gregational church ; sometimes the meetings of 
that order were held at her house. The religious 
antagonism of her son-in-law, Joshua Stow, was a 
great grief to her. She was an economist of the 
old school. In later life she was known by the 
familiar cognomen of " Granny Coe." Her char- 
acter deserves more than a passing mention. 

The children of David and Hannah Camp Coe 
were : 

Nathan, b. May 19, 1742. 

Jesse, b. Nov. 14, 1743. 

* Copied from "History of Torringford, Conn., by Rev. Samuel 
Orcutt." 



64 

Mary, b. Oct. 7, 1745. 
David, b. July 21, 1747. 
Ezra, b. Marcli 4, 1750. 
Hannah, b. Dec. 21, 1751. 
Adali, b. July, 1753. 
Seth, b. Feb. 20, 1756. 
Eli, b. April 11, 1758. 
Euth, b. Oct. 4, 1760. 
Grace, b. Oct. 5, 1763. 

MARY COE. 

Mary Coe, daughter of Capt. David and Han- 
nah Coe, married Daniel Hudson. The following 
is copied from " History of Torrington, Ct." 
(Orcutt): 

" Daniel Hudson and Mary Coe, his mfe, were 
among the pioneer settlers of the town of Tor- 
rington, Litchfield Co., Conn. They came into 
the parish of Torringford in 1768, and were 
constituents of that society and church in estab- 
lishing the pastorate of Rev. Samuel J. Mills, 
over that people in 1769. As Jacob served 
Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel to 
wife, it doth appear that Daniel Hudson served 
Capt. David Coe for his daughter Mary, for in 
his will the reading is, '^ I give and devise to the 
lieirs of my daughter Mary Hudson, £32 I85. 
The reason why I give them no more is, that my 
son Hudson had the improvement of my lands 
eight years, which I judge to be their full pro- 
portion to the rest of my daughters." Daniel 



65 

Hudson and wife Mary went westward, at that 
time a tiresome journey, on horseback, and with 
an ox-cart through the dark wilderness, following 
a bridle path, and the unmade south road, 
through the south part of New Hartford, through 
the northern part of Torringford street, thence to 
Still River swamp, thence up the mountain gorge 
to Winchester. On that road they pitched their 
tent and erected a small one-story house. Sub- 
sequently they built a two-story " lean-to '* house 
and became possessed of an extensive farm, the 
most eligible for tillage and grazing in that 
region. Here they dwelt, toiled, and prospered, 
nurtured a family of nine children, seven daugh- 
ters and t^vo "sons, all of whom grew up healthy, 
industrious, intelligent members of society. The 
homestead remained in the family ninety-two 
years, so long as a Hudson remained in Torring- 
ford. The household scenes of Daniel Hudson 
and Mary Coe furnished an instructive horoscope 
of the future of that family. The active phys- 
ical and moral energies of the parents, and their 
numerous daughters and two sons, manifested in 
the various industries and responsibilities, gave 
promise of certain success in life. All clad in 
home-spun and home-made garments, the father 
and sons in butternut colored or plain, the 
mother and daughters in plaid or striped short 
gowns and petticoats, seldom with costly shoes 
except on extra occasions, offered a scene which 
society of modern times may feel to despise, but 

7 



66 



in regard to the prudence and wisdom of which, 
it might be health to the eyes of many people to 



see." 



The children of Daniel Hudson and Mary Coe 
were nine daughters and two sons, namely: 
Hannah, b. 1767, m. Phineas Elmer. 
Khoda, b. 1768, m. David B. 
Molly, b. 1770, m. Z. Wilson. 
Grace, b. 1772, m. Ozias Bronson. 
Daniel Coe, b. 1774. 
Eunice, b. 1776, m. Benjamin Kinsley. 
Ad^h, b. 1778, m. Gen. Uriah Tuttle!! 
Barzillai, b. 1780. 
Clarissa, b. and d. in 1782. 
Sarah, b. 1783, d. 1784. 
Clarissa, b. 1785, m. Daniel Tuttle. 

DANIEL COE HUDSON. 

Son of Daniel and Mary Coe Hudson, married 
Mary, daughter of Capt. Epaphras Loomis, Feb. 
16, 1797. She died July 22, 1804. He married 
2d, Rhoda, daughter of Noah Fowler. Daniel 
Coe Hudson died July, 1840, aged 66. 

Their children were : 

Daniel, b. Mar. 9, 1798, died Mar. 16, 1805. 

Erasmus Darwin, b. Dec. 15, 1805. 

Daniel Coe, b. Jan. 16, 1808. 

Flora Hollister, b. May 6, 1811. 

Charlotte L., b. Oct., 1813. 

Mary Loomis, b. March 31, 1818. 

Dr. Erasmus Darwin Hudson, son of Daniel 



67 

Coe and Rhocla Fowler Hudson died at River- 
side, Conn., in 1880, aged 75 years. The follow- 
ing obituary notice is copied from the Medical 
Register of New York city for 1881-82, and is 
an emendation of an obituary notice in the " New 
York Tribune''' of Jan. 1, 1881 : 

''Dr. Erasmus D. Hudson was born at Tor- 
rington, Litchfield Co., Conn., Dec. 15, 1805. 
His father, Daniel Hudson, was a descendant of 
Daniel Hudson who landed in Boston in 1630. 
In 1823 he entered the office of his uncle, Dr. 
Remus M. Fowler of Ne^r Marlboro, Mass., and 
matriculated subsequently at the Berkshire Med- 
ical College, from which he graduated in 1827. 
The late John P. Batchelder was his preceptor 
and friend during his college course. During 
his college vacations he was self-sustaining by 
teachins: school. After 2:raduation he married 
Martha Turner of New Marlboro, Mass. He 
settled in practice at Wintonbury and Bloomiield, 
Conn., and subsequently practiced in Windsor 
and Torringford, Conn. At Torringford lie was 
the associate and successor of the well known 
Dr. Samuel Woodward. He was a member of 
the Berkshire Natural History Society, of the 
Hartford County Medical Society, Connecticut 
State Medical Society, and Physician and Sur- 
geon to the Connecticut State Emigrant Hospi- 
tal. About 1838, he had taken an active part in 
the temperance reform, and more especially the 
anti-slavery agitation. He was the general agent 



68 

of the Connecticut State Anti Slavery Society 
until 1842, and subsequently until 1849, of tlie 
American Anti-Slavery Society, constantly travel- 
ing through the New England, Middle and West- 
ern States as a lecturer and organizer of societies 
and conventions. The intensity of this work in 
the face of public excitement and constant per- 
sonal danger, compelled him to retire to private 
life, although he remained a member and officer 
of the societies to the time of the Rebellion. In 
1850 he engaged in the manufacture of artificial 
arms and legs at Springfield, Mass., but in 1855 
he removed to New York and soon extended his 
work to a broader field, the treatment by pro- 
thetic and mechanical appliances of various forms 
of physical loss and injury. During and subse- 
quent to the war he applied arms and limbs for 
the government, but more especially was engaged 
in adapting apparatus for hip joint and Syme's 
amputations, and for the cures of resection, 
paralysis from gunshot injury, etc. He wrote 
several monographs on amputations and resec- 
tions, and contributed largely to the reports of 
the United States Sanitary Commission and the 
Surgeon-General's Medical History of the War. 
His services were recognized by an award at the 
Paris Exposition, 1867, the International Sanitary 
Society, and the Centennial Exposition, 1876. 
Throughout, his time and services were always 
given to the crippled poor gratuitously, and the 
apparatus supplied to the wounded soldiers was 



69 

always constructed witli a philanthropic zeal, 
and a thoroughness and conscientiousness which 
curtailed the usual liberal profits of government 
patronage. Dr. Hudson was a man of vigorous 
physique, Avell preserved by regularity and sim- 
plicity of life. He had never been confined a 
day in bed by sickness, and during 1879 and 
1880 had come daily to the city from his country 
place in Connecticut, a distance of thirty miles. 
An epidemic of diphtheria caused the death of 
two favorite grand-children in November, 1880. 
Dr. Hudson became greatly depressed by this 
loss, and was seized with pleuro-pneumonia, of 
Avhich he died at Riverside, Conn., Dec. 31, 1880, 
aged 75 years and 16 days. His wife survives 
him. He had three sons, one deceased, and two 
surviving, Mr. R. F. Hudson and Dr. E. Darwin 
Hudson, Jr., both of New York city." 

JOSEPH COE. 

Joseph Coe, the son of Dea. Joseph Coe, and 
grandson of Lieut. Joseph Coe of Durham, and 
great-grandson of John Coe of Stratford (grand- 
son of Robert Coe who came from England in 
1634), married Elisabeth Corn well of Westfield, 
and settled at the old homestead on the Hill. 

His children were : 

Elihu, b. Aug., 1780. 

Millicent, b. March 25, 1782. 

Joseph, b. Jan. 31, 1784. 

Curtis, b. Jan. 9, 1786. 

7* 



70 

Lois, b. Jan. 6, 1788. 

Esther, b, Jan. 6, 1790. 

Enoch, b. Oct. 25, 1791. 

Calvin, b. Apr. 11, 1794. 

Luther, b. June 1, 1796. 

Cyrus, b. May 8, 1798. 
Of these children: 

Enoch Coe, died Oct. 21, 1798. 

Luther Coe, d. Oct. 20, 1798. 

Cyrus Coe, d. Sept. 22, 1822. 

Joseph Coe died July 9, 1828, aged 76 years, 
and Elisabeth Coe, his wife, died Jan. 19, 1831. 
For him was the first grave dug in the new or 
Central Burying-Ground. He was a man of sound 
mind, honest in his dealings with men, a rigid 
Baptist, and somewhat of a theologian. 

CAPT. JOSEPH COE. 

Joseph Coe married a daughter of William 
Ward. He removed to South Farms, and while 
there was made captain of a militia company. 
He moved back to Middlefield on the Lyman 
Farm in the East School District. He lived at 
this place till his father died, then he removed 
to the old homestead on "Jackson Hill." He 
represented the town of Middletown in the Legis- 
lature of Connecticut, and likewise the Eight- 
eenth District in the State Senate. His children 
were, Phineas, Osborne, and Ward. 



71 

ELIHU COE. 

Eliliii Coe married a daughter of Eli Coe, Esq. 
He built a house on the center road, north of the 
North District School-house, and lived there till 
the decease of his wife and some time after. She 
died March 13, 1 826. Their children were, Enoch, 
Luther, and Rachel. He married a second wife 
by the name of Ward, and removed to Butler's 
Creek. He lost his second wife, and then removed 
to the residence of his son-in-law, Isaac Baldwin, 
in the city of Middletown, where he died, Aug. 
24, 1859, aged 78 years. 

CUETIS COE. 

Curtis Coe was born 1786, and died July 6, 
1875, aged 89 years. He married a daughter of 
the Hon. Joshua Stow, and settled on the Hawley 
place in the East School District. His wife died 
in 1834, aged 43. Their children were, Marianne 
and Cyrus. Mr. Coe had large nurseries of fruit 
trees, and the fine cherry called the '' Coe cherry " 
was orignated by him. In the latter part of his 
life he married Sarah Parmelee of Durham. 

CALVIN COE. 

Calvin Coe married a daughter of Hezekiah 
Rice and settled in Meriden. 

COL. LEVI COE. 

Levi Coe was the son of Eli and Rachel Miller 
Coe, and grandson of David Coe, and was born 
July 11, 1788. He was the youngest of a family 



72 

of ^ve children, three sons and two daughters. 
We copy the following, a just tribute to his 
character: '^His education was such as might be 
obtained at the practical common schools of his 
time. The only occupation of his life was farm- 
ing, in which he w^as successful, in that he did 
everything thoroughly, never attempting to do 
more than could be done well, breaking no more 
ground than could be w^ell tilled, keeping no more 
stock than could be well fed. His farming was 
practical rather than theoretical. He took great 
pride in the fences, in the crops, and in the stock 
of his farm. He acquired an enviable reputation 
in breeding and raising good horses and cattle, 
the beautiful Devons being his favorite breed, 
always striving for the best. He w^as of a hope- 
ful and cheerful disposition, mild and modest in 
manners, kind and indulgent in his family, consid- 
erate and obliging to his neighbors, cautious and 
conscientious in his transactions, and firm in his 
convictions of right. His advice was often sought, 
and his judgment much relied on by others. He 
filled many ofifices of trust and responsibility, and 
always with fidelity, and had the respect and 
confidence of all who knew him. He was for 
many years an active member of the State mili- 
tia, and was advanced to a Colonelcy when mili- 
tary honors were worthy the ambition of any, 
and when merit alone was the test of such distinc- 
tion. That he merited the title was attested by 
its universal application in addressing or speaking 



73 

of " Col. Coe." He took a deep interest in the 
affairs of his native town, and of the society in 
which he lived, and in the church, of which he 
was a consistent member. He was also true to 
his political party — the Whig party — till it died, 
and the Republican party till he died. He was 
married to Sarah Ward, daughter of William and 
Mary (Miller) Ward, on the 14th of Feb., 1811, 
with whom he lived nearly fifty-three years, till 
his death, Jan. 16, 1864. His wife survived him 
nearly eight years, and died Dec. 10, 1871, aged 
84 years. By this marriage there were four 
children, to wit : 

Benjamin Ward Coe, born April 28, 1812, who 

married Betsey Birdsey, and died June 

28, 1877. 
Aurelia Miller Coe, born Oct. 15, 1815, who 

married Ichabod Miller, and died July 

14, 1873. 
Alvin Bennett Coe, born Feb. 13, 1821, who 

married Harriet Coe, and now (1883) lives 

in Middlefield. 
Levi Elmore Coe, born June 6, 1828, who 

married Sophia Fidelia Hall, and now 

lives in Meriden, Ct. 

ELI COE. 

Eli Coe, son of Squire Eli Coe, and grandson 
of David Coe, married Lois, daughter of Joseph 
Coe. Their children were : 

Nelson, who m. Phebe Crowell. 



74 

Russell, wlio m. Catherine Birdsey 

Esther. 

Lewis, who m. Sophia Coe. 

Isaac, who m. Sarah Bacon of Westfield. 

Eunice, who m. Bliss. 

Joseph E., who m. Laura Miller. 

CAPT. BELA COE. 

Capt. Bela Coe lived near the center of Middle- 
field, in the house built by James Ward 2d, and 
lately occupied by Cornelius Hall. He married 
for his first wife Hannah Ward. For his second 
wife he married Mrs. Ruth Birdsey. Bela Coe 
was the son of Esquire Eli Coe, and grandson of 
David Coe. The children of Bela Coe and Han- 
nah Ward Coe were : 

Dennis, who married Lucy Birdsey. 

William, m. Lucina Cook. 

Lucina, m. Roswell Bailey. 

Watson, m. Louisa Bacon, of Westfield. 

Andrew, m. Caroline Coe, daughter of Calvin 
Coe. 

Rachel, who married Elbert Miller. 

Capt. Bela Coe died Oct. 4, 1841, aged 63. 

ELIAKIM STOW. 

Eliakim Stow, born March 3, 1708, married 
Lydia Miller (daughter of Benjamin [Gov.] Mil- 
ler, one of the first settlers of Middlefield). He 
owned the land from a point east of what is now 
known as Lee's Mill, west to the top of the moun- 



75 

tain, including tlie Metropolitan W. M. Go's 
works, etc. He had a Houring-mill, a saw -mill, 
and afterward a mill for carding wool. His 
dwelling-liouse was about fifteen rods southwest 
of the residence of John O. Couch, Esq. He 
had seven children : 

Eliakim, who died at 28 years of age, and was 
buried in the old buiying-ground. Middle- 
field. 
Sarah, who married and settled in Granville, 

Mass. 
Elihu. 
Mary, who married and settled in Granville, 

Mass. 
Dan, who died at the age of 29 years, and was 

interred in the old ground, Middlefield. 
Catherine. 

Benjamin, who settled in Granville, Mass. 
Catherine married an English gentleman named 
Hicklyn. After living several years in England, 
they came to spend some time with her friends 
in America, and boarded with Joshua Stow. 
While there Catherine was taken sick and died. 

ELIHU STOW. 

Elihu Stow, son of Eliakim Stow the 1st, mar- 
ried Jemima Payne, whose parents came from 
Long Island while the British lield possession 
there, during the Eevolutionary war. When 
they returned at the close of the war, their two 
daucrhters, Deborah and Jemima, were left in 



76 

Middletown ; Deborali, the wife of " Parson 
Frothingliam ; " Jemima, of Elihii Stow. Elihu 
lived in tlie house with his father, where eight 
children were born to him. Tradition says, that 
for this reason, — the house being full of children, 
and the mother's heart turning to her youngest, 
her Benjamin, who was childless, — Eliakim and 
his wafe Lydia went to Granville to live with 
Benjamin, and their remains, after a pilgrimage 
of more than 90 years, quietly rest in the " Old 
Graveyard on the Hill," at Granville, Mass. 

Elihu's children were : 

Elihu, who settled in Granville, where his de- 
scendants now live. 

Naomi, who married Bela Hubbard. 

Joshua, who married Ruth Coe. 

Jemima, who married William Kelly. 

Obed, who married Anna Miller. 

Lydia, who married Hezekiah Rice. 

Eunice. 

Silas. 

Elihu, like the Stows in general, was not afraid 
to express his opinions, even if in the minority. 
For instance, he was very much opposed to taxa- 
tion for the support of the ministry, and refused 
to pay his tax, allowing his horse to be sold at 
public auction, rather than act contrary to his 
convictions. He and his wife withdrew from the 
church in Middlefield, and united with the 
'' Separatist Church," as it was called, in Middle- 
town, and rode six miles to meeting nearly every 



77 

Sabbath. The Stows were o^enerally kind to the 
poor. One anecdote is told of Elilm. During the 
general destruction of the wheat crop by the 
Hessian fly, he was in his field, haying, when a 
small boy came to have him grind a peck of 
w^heat. He said, " My boy, why didn't you bring 
more ? It will hardly pay to leave my work and 
start the mill for a peck." •' Sir," said the boy, 
who had ridden six miles to bring it, " Mother 
would have been as glad to have sent more as 
any one, but it was all she could get." In relat- 
ing the incident to his wife, he said, " I never 
went more willingly to start the mill, and took 
no toll. I found four quarts of wheat and put 
that in, and wished it was more.'' His ^vife Avas 
thrown from a carriage and instantly killed, when 
about 74 years old. He afterward married the 
^^-idow of a Mr. Wetmore, who survived him. 
He was buried in the "■ Old Burying Ground," 
Middlefield. Of his children, only Joshua, Obed, 
and Eunice remained in Middlefield. Eunice, 
youngest daughter of Elihu, was noted for her 
kindness to the sick, never refusing to go to take 
care of them, however malignant the disease. 
She herself was never sick to call a physician, 
until the time of her death (1838), at about 70 
years of age. She died of disease of the heart. 

JOSHUA STOW. 

Joshua Stow, son of Elihu and Jemima Payne 
Stow, was born in Middlefield, April 22, 1782, 



78 

and died Oct. 11, 1842. He married Kiitli Coe, 
daughter of David Coe of Middleiield. 

Their cliildren were : 

Julia, wlio iQarried Joseph Hale. 

Albert. 

Laura, who married Curtis Coe. 

Joshua Stow was a man of superior talent^ 
and great force of character. In early life he 
went, in the employ of the State of Connecticut, 
to the Western Reserve as a surveyor, and was 
one of the earliest pioneers in that region. In 
his first journey, he was carried by Indians from 
Buffalo to Cleveland in a canoe. He became a 
very prominent and influential man in his native 
State (Connecticut), and as a member of the 
Constitutional Convention of that State, was the 
author of the Article in the Constitution which 
secured complete religious toleration, thus placing 
Connecticut in advance of the times in enlight- 
ened legislation. 

From another source (that of a niece of Judge 
Stow,) we gain the following : 

" Joshua was a very prominent man in what 
was known as the Anti-Federalist j^arty, and a 
warm supjDorter of the Universalist Church. He 
enjoyed telling stories, incidents of his boyhood, 
and none more than his adventures while visiting 
' Uncle Ben ' at Granville. One day he had 
been busy all day helping Uncle Ben barrel up 
flour at the 'Mill,' and having loaded the cart, 
(a new tip-cart just come into use,) they started for 



79 

liome up the hill, a mile and a quarter in length. 
As they neared the summit, the barrels had 
slipped back, or being unused to it, they had not 
secured the pin sufficiently, the cart tipj)ed, and 
all the barrels went rolling down the liill. 
^ Uncle Ben ' stood without movins: a muscle 
until the last barrel had ceased to roll, when he 
said, 'Josh, if a carpenter came to make me a 
new cart, and shoidd even ask me if I'd have a 
tip-up-cart, I'd kill him.' The following anec- 
dote will show the persistency of Joshua's char- 
acter. During^ the difficulties with the 'Eaoie 
Bank,' New Haven, three men of Middletown, 
€t., were put under bonds that they would not 
leave the city of Middletown. The other two 
forfeited their bonds and returned to their busi- 
ness and homes ; but Joshua refused to do it, and 
for years remained without visiting his home in 
Middlefield. His wife would ride in, and con- 
sult him in regard to the farm, etc. At last 
some interested parties became very anxious to 
have him forfeit his bonds. They accordingly 
hired a — shall I say — man ? to take Mr. Stow 
beyond the specified bounds. It was fine sleigh- 
ing and he invited Mr. Stow to ride with him. 
As they neared the northern limit of the city, 
Mr. Stow said, ' You nmst stop, I cannot go 
farther.' ' Never mind,' said the man, and struck 
his horse a sharp blow. ' But I do mind,' said 
Mr. Stow, and rolled from the sleigh before the 
limit was reached. His mind remained good to 



80 

an advanced age. He was confined to tlie liouse 
witli a severe cold, but no alarm was felt until 
they found him dying." 

The following obituary from a western paper 
has been preserved by a great-grandson of Judge 
Stow : 

" Died at his residence in Middlefield, Conn., 
on the 11th of Oct. (1842), Hon. Joshua Stow, 
in the 81st year of his age. Truly, 'a good 
man has fallen in Israel.' His name has since 
1799 been associated with the history of the 
Western Reserve, and no man has contributed 
more to its advancement and prosperity. He 
visited this country in 1799 as agent for the 
Conn. Western Land Company, having charge of 
the surveying party which was sent out by the 
company that year, to survey the " Reserve " into 
townships. They landed at Conneaut harbor, 
on the 4th of July of that year, and there cele- 
brated in that ^temple not made with hands,' 
the glorious anniversary of our Independence. 
This commenced the settlement of the Reserve. 
It was the first step in the march of improve- 
ment which has made ^ this wilderness to blossom 
like the rose.' Since that time his name has 
been closely identified with the improvement and 
settlement of the Reserve. It is a fact, perhaps 
not generally known, that of the whole number 
of individuals composing the Conn. Western 
Reserve Land Company (and most of them were 
wealthy), but few saved themselves by the 



81 

investment. Mr. Stow lias largely contributed 
to tlie prosperity of this town. He has made 
liberal investments of capital in erecting exten- 
sive mills upon his water-power, which are now 
standing. We believe Judge Stow was the last 
surviving member of the 'Conn. Western Reserve 
Land Company.' Judge Stow has filled impoi*t- 
ant offices in his own State with great credit to 
himself. He was for several years chief judge of 
the county court, for several years a member of 
both branches of the Legislature, and for more 
than twenty years he filled the office of Post- 
master at Middletown, Conn. This last office he 
held until within two years of his death, when 
he resigned, on account of the increasing infirmi- 
ties of old acre. As a member of the Leuislature 
and judge, he gained the reputation of a ^vise, 
sagacious, and honest man. He was a soldier of 
the Revolution, and received from the bounty of 
his country, a pension — ' a badge ' as he called it 
— of honorable service ; the lano:uao:e of kindness 
and gratitude which the present generation was 
speaking to the past. 

Judge Stow was a Christian and a philan- 
thropist. He was ever kind and benevolent to the 
needy. He delighted in acts of humanity and 
love. Mr. Sto^v has left to his heirs, as the fruits 
of his toil, industry, and enterprise, a large and 
extensive property in this section, but he has left 
a far richer legacy in the bright example of a 
virtuous and honorable life. He died from no 

8* 



82 

protracted illness. His spirit seemed weary with 
old age, and it took its flight for another, and we 
trust happier world." 

ALBERT STOW. 

Albert, son of Joshua and Ruth Stow, was born 
May 4, 1801, and at the age of twenty-eight years 
showed symptoms of consumption, and was 
advised by his physician to try a change of 
climate. He went with his father to Ohio in 
September, expecting to spend a few weeks. The 
change proving unfavorable, he was too feeble 
to attempt the return trip, by the fatiguing stage 
coach (the only mode then in use) so late in the 
fall, when his father's business was concluded. He 
remained with a Mr. Wetmore, an old acquaint- 
ance from Middletown. He continued to fail 
until February of the next year, when he died, 
and Avas buried in Ohio. He was the only son 
of his parents, and a young man of fine promise. 
There are those still living in Middlefield to 
whom the memory of young Albert Stow is like 
the fi^arnered frag-rance of flowers. 

SILAS STOW. 

Silas Stow, brother of Joshua, Avas born in 
Middlefield, Dec. 21, 1773. Removed to Lowville 
N. Y. Was member of Congress, and President 
of the first Constitutional Convention of that 
State, and his son Horatio was President of the 
second. Both Joshua and Silas Stow were men 



83 

of a high order of talent, and great force of char- 
acter. Tlieir father was a man of strong- charac- 
ter, and of their mother, Joshua, in some remarks 
Avhich he made at her grave, commenced by say- 
ing, "Here lies the best of mothers. She taught 
us not so much luliat to think as lioiv to think." 

OBED STOW. 

Obed Stow, son of Elihu Stow, was born and 

settled in Middleiield. He married Anna Miller, 

daughter of Isaac Miller, Esq. After nine years 

she died, leaving four children, namely : 

AVarren P. 

Lucy W., who married E. W. Morgan, Esq., now 

living at Ann Arbor, Mich. 
William, who died at 1 6 years of age. 
Norris C, who settled in Elyria, Ohio, and died 

at the age of 28 years. 
Obed Stow afterwards married Lucy Kirby of 
Cromwell, who survived him. They are interred 
in the old yard, Middleiield. 
Their children were : 

Anna, who married Curtiss Bacon of Middle- 
town, Conn. 
Olive, wlio married Noah Merwin of Durham, 

Conn. 
Mary B., who married Samuel North of Berlin, 

Conn. 
Sarah J., who married Peter H. Ashton of 

Middletown, Conn. 
Martha, a successful teacher for thirty years. 



84 

Obed Stow was one of the members of the 
Congregational Church wlien it was reorganized 
in 1808, and continued one of its officers until 
his death. He identified himself with the old 
Whig party, but never took as prominent a place 
in politics as his brothers. He was interested in 
the schools of Middlefield, and gave his influence 
for thorough education. It was the interest felt 
in schools by the early settlers of Middlefield 
that placed theirs in the first rank. 

WARREN p. STOW. 

Warren P. was an active member of the Con- 
gregational Church in Middlefield, and was much 
interested in the cause of education, devoting 
much time to the improvement of the schools. 
He married Elizabeth Ward, and had 1^ve chil- 
dren : 

Delia J., who died at the age of 26 years. 

William, who died in Wallingford, leaving six 
children. 

Louisa, who married S. Cone of Meriden, Conn. 

Eveline, who married and died in Meriden. 

Lucy D., who married — Parker, Esq., of Ann 
Arbor, Michigan. 

BACON. 

In 1747, there were Nathaniel Bacon and 
Joseph Bacon in Middlefield — landholders. They 
were from the First Society. It is probable that 
Nathaniel Bacon was a son of Nathaniel Bacon, 



85 

one of the first settlers in Middletown. The 
Bacons of Middlefield were of English origin : 
[The record, following, obtained lately, is from a 
member of the Bacon family. " Nathaniel Bacon, 
son of William Bacon of Stretton in the county 
of Rutland, England, emigrated to this country 
and became one of the company who settled 
Middletown in 1650. John was his fifth child, 
and John was the fifth child of the first John, 
whose second child was also named John. He 
removed to the parish of Westfield and settled 
near the place lately occupied by Ebenezer Bacon. 
His second child was also named John, who was 
born in Westfield, Jan. 22, 1751, and as my 
record has it 'settled in the parish of Middle- 
field upon the old homestall,' and married first, 
Grace Griswold of Wallingford, and had eight 
children; married second wife, Olive Atkins, 
daughter of Joel and Mary. This John Bacon 
died Sept. 17, 1804, aged 58. His third child 
was John, who settled in Middlefield. He was 
born Dec. 15, 1779, and married Amy Coe, 
daughter of Nathan Coe."] 
Their children were : 

1. Curtiss, who was born April 17, 1804. 

2. William. 

3. John L. ) , . 

^ ^ V twms. 

4. Lucy. ) 

5. George W. 

Curtiss Bacon resided in the city of Middle- 



86 

town, was slieriff of tlie county, and U. S. 
Marslial under Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. 

William and John L. were in New London 
for many years, and kept tliere a well-known 
hotel bearino; the name " Bacon's Hotel.'' 

Lucy married Oliver L. Foster, and has always 
lived upon the old homestall. 

George W. married Phebe Birdsey, settled in 
Middlefield upon '' Jackson Hill." He was a 
man of courteous bearing, witty sayings, a genial 
companion, and a kind neighbor. Great order 
and neatness prevailed throughout any establish- 
ment with which he had to do. With a smile 
and kindly greeting for every one, he has been 
missed from these pathways '^ that know him no 
more forever." The record says further : " The 
Bacons have been content to keep the ^ even tenor' 
of an honest reputation, ' along the cool seques- 
tered vale of life,' none perhaps distinguished 
for great and shining qualities, but realizing the 
truth of the old motto which was fixed to the 
escutcheon of the ' Bacon ' family for many a 
long century, 'mediocra jirma^ — 'A stable posi- 
tion in the middle station of life.' " 

WILLIAM COLES. 

William Coles (son of William Coles who 
died in Dorchester, Mass., Oct. 26, 1810) came 
to Middlefield from Dorchester about the year 
1793. He settled in the part now called "Falls 
District," and was for twenty-six years foreman 



87 

of the paper-mill there, and for some years one 
of the proprietors. Paper making was at that 
time in the place an important branch of indus- 
try. For a long time that part of Middlefield 
was called the "Paper-Mill Quarter." AVilliam 
Coles w^as born Jan. 21, 1772. Married Lois 
Miller (daughter of William and Chloe Miller), 
who was born March 31, 1772. 

Their children Avere : 

Lucy, b. Mch. 9, 1797, d. Sept. 15, 1798. 

Lucy 2d, b. Feb. 8, 1799, d. Dec. 15, 1799. 

William, b. April 25, 1800, d. Oct. 21, 1800. 

Warren, b. Oct. 1, 1801, d. Jan, 19, 1882. 

William 2d, b. May 2, 1804, d. July 30, 1804. 

Sarah, b. Sept. 16, 1806, d. Nov. 13, 1806. 

Julia, b. Feb. 10, 1808, d. Oct. 18, 1816. 

Augustus, b. July 16, 1810, d. Dec. 18, 1875. 

Lucy 3d, b. Aug. 5, 1812, d. Dec. 2, 1835. 

Roswell, b. Mch. 4, 1815. 

William Coles died Oct. 20, 1839, aged 68 
years; Lois, his wife died Dec. 5, 1855, aged 83 
years and 8 months. 

WARREN COLES. 

Warren, son of William and Lois Coles, married 
Roxy Ann Magill, Jan. 10, 1827. He settled near 
the old home of his father, and was eno-as^ed for 
some time in the manufacture of paper. In mid- 
dle life he went to California, at the time of the 
gold excitement, where he remained fourteen 
years. The last years of his life were spent at 



88 

tlie home of his son, Valerius Coles, in the " Falls 
District" near to the home of his childhoods 
He died Jan. 19, 1882, aged 81 years. 

The children of Warren and Koxy Ann Coles 
were : 

Valeria, who married Levi Parsons Hubbard. 

Valerius, m. Angeline Norton. 

Erskine, m. Lydia Thorne. 

Lois Euphrasia, m. George Kendall ; d. April 
21, 1864. 

Adelaide M., m. L. V. Conn over. 

AUGUSTUS COLES. 

Augustus, son of William and Lois Coles, 

removed to the city of Middletown. He married 

Nancy Hubbard, daughter of Enoch Hubbard, 

April 14, 1837. 

Children : 

George A., who married Augusta, daughter of 

William H. Atkins, Oct. 11, 1860. 
Roswell W., m. Julia A. Morse of Springfield, 

Mass., Oct. 10, 1866. 
Jose^Dhine A., m. Horace Southmayd of Mid- 
dletown, Oct. 14, 1863; d. April 24, 1874. 
Alice H., m. Eugene S. Belden, Apr. 18, 1866. 

ROSWELL COLES. 

R-oswell, youngest of ten children of William 
and Lois Miller Coles, was born March 4, 1815, 
and left home at the age of 16 to learn the trade 
of a blacksmith. This was in 1831. In 1843 



89 

lie went to New York State, where he settled in 
Napauock, town of Wa^varsing, Ulster Co. He 
married Apher Carney, July 3, 1845. 

To them were born two sons and one daughter, 
namely : 

William, who married Anna Cantine. 

AYarren, Avho m. Mar}^ E. Pettibone. 

Lucetta, now living in AVhitman Co., Washing- 
ton Territory. 

After the death of Apher Carney, his first 
wife, he married Elizabeth Vanderlyn, of Falls- 
burg, Sullivan Co., New York. 

LUCY COLES. 

Lucy, daughter of William and Lois Coles, 
was born Aug. 5, 1812, and died Dec. 2, 1835. 
She was the third Lucy in the family, and was a 
young woman of admirable character and greatly 
beloved. She died at the age of 23, regretted by 
all who knew her. 

CAPT. WILLIAM WARD. 

Capt. William Ward was a landholder in 1747. 
He was probably from the First Society, as 
Wards were among the first settlers in Middle- 
town. His house stood on the west street. He 
died in 1786. There were several other Ward 
families ; they might have sprung from the said 
William. There were Dr. Asher Ward, William 
Ward, Jr., Timothy Ward, Capt. James T. Ward, 
James Ward 2d, and Sylvester Ward. All of 
these families but one, are gone. 



90 
WILLIAM WARD. 

AVilliam Ward, son of William Ward, married 
Ehoda Bacon of Westfield. Their children were * 
William, who lived in Middlefield. 
Caroline, who married Nathaniel Hook, and 

moved West. 
Maria, who married Alfred Bailey. 

CAPT. JAMES WARD. 

Capt." James Ward married Elizabeth, daughter 
of Ichabod Miller. He lived in the North Dis- 
trict near the "Old Burying-ground." After- 
w^ard he moved to a house near where the Metho- 
dist Parsonage now stands. 

The children of James and Elizabeth Ward 
were : 

James 2d, who married Eunice Birdsey. 

Phineas, unmarried. 

Keuben. 

Irena, died young. 

Elizabeth, who m. William Birdsey. 

Martha, who m. a Brainard, and moved to 
the "Black Kiver Country." 

JAMES WARD 3o. 

James Ward 2d, married Eunice Birdsey, and 
lived near the center of Middlefield. Eunice 
Birdsey Ward died Jan. 30, 1858. The follow- 
ing is clipped from a Middletown paper. " In 
this town, Middlefield Society, Mrs. Eunice Ward, 
widow of the late James Ward, aged nearly 88 



91 

years. Slie was a worthy member of the Congre- 
gational Cliurcli in tliis place, and was much loved 
and respected by a lai-ge circle of relatives and 
acquaintances. She was cheerful and social in 
temperament, and passionately fond of flowers." 

The children of James and Eunice Ward were : 

Almira, still living at the old home (1883). 

Eunice, who married Richard M. Bailey. 

Lucina. 

Amelia, who m. 1st, Timothy Coe; 2d, John 
Smith. 

James, who m. 

Electa, who m. William T. Boardman of West- 
field. 

Irena, who m. Petei* Ashton. 

Elizabeth, died young. 

John, died in infancy. 

CAPT. OLIVER BAILEY. 

Oliver Bailey, son of Oliver Bailey of Haddam, 
Conn., was born in 1763, and settled in Middle- 
field not far from a century ago. He was one of 
fifteen children, three of whom settled in Massa- 
chusetts, one in Connecticut (Middlefield), and 
eleven in Pennsylvania. 

The children of Oliver were six sons and one 
daughter, namely : 

Alfred, Roswell, 

Ira, Minerva, 

Bichard M., Bussell. 

Oliver, 



92 

CAPT. ALFRED BAILEY. 

Alfred Bailey, son of Oliver Bailey, was born 
Sept. 20, 1791, and died May 14, 1871. He 
married Maria, daughter of William Ward. She 
was born March 18, 1795, and died May 20, 1881. 
Their children were : 
Almira W., William Ward, 

Lavinia M., Mary Lucina, 

Louisa C, Rhoda A., 

Alfred M., Phebe C. 

RICHARD M. BAILEY. 

Richard, son of Oliver, married Eunice Ward 
and lived in the Falls district, Middlefield, where 
for a considerable term of years he owned and 
operated the saw-mill at the " Falls." 

The children of Richard M. and Eunice Ward 
were: 

Mariette, who died at the age of eleven. 

Eveline, who married Ozias Merriman. 

Ward, who m. Marion Inglis. 

Eugene, who m. Esther Rockwell. 

Richard M. Bailey died January, 1879. 

COMFORT HALL. 

Comfort Hall, although not born in Middlefield, 
and living just outside its limits, yet was identi- 
fied with its history of more than half a century 
ago. He was one of the early Methodists, and 
one of the original trustees of the M. E. Church 
in Middlefield. He was of the old type of Metho- 



93 

disnij earnest, zealous, a devoted attendant at 
cliurcli, and liis home always open to entertain 
Methodist preachers. There are many living in 
Middleiield who have a vivid recollection of 
^^ Uncle Comfort's " fervent prayers. He was 
born in Wallingford, Feb. 25, 1773, and died 
Nov. 20, 1855, aged 82. He married Jemima 
Bacon of Westiield, who was born February, 1775, 
and died Feb. 24, 1847, aged 72 years. 

The children of Comfort and Jemima Hall 
were : 

Sylvester, Amos, 

Harley, Cornelius, 

Miles, Seth, 

Abia, Johnson Comfort, 

Aaron, Winsell Bacon. 

JOHN DICKENSON. 

John Dickenson was not one of the early set- 
tlers of Middleiield, yet his connection reaches 
back nearly a century. He lived to be over 90 
years of age, and in his boyhood learned his trade 
(that of shoemaker) of Obed Stow. For some 
time after his first marriage he lived near the 
^'Falls'' in that district. It was here that his 
wife died in the "sickly year," of typhus fever. 
Subsequently he bought and occupied the house 
and farm near that of Thomas Atkins. The 
place originally belonged to the "Wetmores," 
some of the early settlers. In middle life John 
Dickenson spent some time as a merchant, ped- 

9* 



94 

dling in the South. Late in life he sold his farm 
and spent his remaining years with his daughter, 
Mrs. Charles Gabrielle, in Colchester. 

His children by his first wife were : 

Samuel, who died unmarried. 

Mary, who married Charles Gabrielle. 

For his second wife John Dickenson married 
Celia Galpin, the mother of Emily Galpin (who 
married Capt. Henry Bacon of Middletown), and 
of William Galpin of Middletown (who in earlier 
life was for a long time in business in Lexington, 
Kentucky). 

The children of John and Celia Dickenson were : 

Adeline, who married Rev. William R. John- 
son. 

John, who m. 



RECORD OF THE DEAD OF MIDDLEFIELD, 

FROM 22d of MAY, 1761. 



IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. 



KEPT BY HEZEKIAH HALE, JOSHUA STOW, AND OTHERS. 



Allen, Obadiali's wife, died Oct. 25, 1764. 

Allen, Sarah, " May 17, 1770. 

Allen, Margaret, wid., " Sept. 16, 1771. 

Allen, Ebenezer's child, " Feb. 13, 1772. 

Allen, Obadiah, " July 13, 1783. 

Augur, Justus' child (still born), March 14, 1784. 

Atkins, Abigail, died April 16, 1784. 

Allen, Ebenezer's child, died Feb. 7, 1785. 

Allen, Ebenezer's child, " Sept. 19, 1786. 

Augur, Prosper's child, " Dec. 17, 1794. 

Allen, Ebenezer's wife, " April 7, 1807. 

Augur, Thankful, wife of Prosper Augur, age 69 years, 

died Sept. 16, 1825. 
Augur, Phineas, age 37 years, died isov. 18, 1825. 
Ashton, Peter's (twin child), died, 1825. 
Aston, Deroy, child of Joseph, " 1833. 
Augur, Prosper, age 81 years, "Dec. 16, 1836. 
Aston, Joseph, died May 6, 1842. 
Atkins, Emily Puth, child of Thomas, age 4 years and 

4 months; died July 22, 1844. 
Augur, Polly. 

Abel, AYilliani, died at Colchester. 
Atkins, Lucy, wife of Thomas, (suddenly) died Oct. 13, 

1859.' 



96 

Bradly, Learning's child, died Sept. 15, 1764. 

Bacon, Anna, died Nov. 12, 1765. 

Eirdsey, Gershom's cliild, died Dec. 6, 1766. 

Bacon, Nathaniel's wife, " April 11, 1769. 

Birdsey, Gershom's child, " Dec. 18, 1768. 

Bacon, Nathaniel, " Nov. 8, 1769. 

Brocket, Sarah, widow, " Nov. 5, 1769. 

Barnes, Ezekiel's child, '' Jan. 2, 1772. 

Birdsey, Benjamin's child, " Feb. 17, 1773. 

Birdsey, David's child (still born), March 15, 1773. 

Benedict, Eev. Abner's child, died July 7, 1774. 

Birdsey, David's cliild, died April 28, 1775. 

Bartlett, Ephraim's child, " July 11, 1775. 

Birdsey, Benjamin's wife, '' Aug. 12, 1775. 

Bow, Peleg, died Aug. 18, 1776. 

Bartlett, Ephraim (in New York), ~ 21, 1776. 

Black, Mrs., died April 10, 1780. 

Boardman, Samuel Allyn, died Sept. 22, 1780. 

Birdsey, Gershom's child, " May 16, 1781. 

Bartlett, James' child, " May 16, 1783. 

Butler, Timothy's child, " June 9, 1783. 

Babcock, Samuel, " Nov. 2, 1783. 

Birdsey, Seth (killed by fall of a tree), Feb. 16, 1784. 

Babcock, Dorcas, wid., died Feb. 21, 1784. 

Brown, John (crazy), " Dec. 6, 1787. 

Birdsey, Benjamin, '' Aug. 28, 1789. 

Birdsey, Gershom, " Nov. 17, 1789. 

Birdsey, John's wife, " March 20, 1791. 

Bagby, David of Chatham (found dead). May 13, 1791. 

Birdsey, Abel's wife, died Dec. 19, 1791. 

Birdsey, John (an early settler in Middlelield), died 

June 17, 1798. 
Birdsey, John Jr.'s child, died Oct. 6, 1801. 
Bradley, Widow, " Dec. 20, 1802. 

Birdsey, Elihu H.'s cliild, '' Oct. 21, 1803. 



97 

Birdsey, Capt. David's wife, died July 23, 1804. 
Birdsej, John Jr.'s child, " Dec. 22, 1804. 
Birdsey, John the 2d, age 76 years, died Mar. 9, 1807. 
Birdsey, John Jr.'s child, died May 11, 1807. 
Bailey, Isaac's child, " March 2, 1808. 

Birdsey, John Jr.'s wife, " Ang. 25, 1808. 
Birdsey, Elizabeth, wife of William, died July 27, 1814. 
Birdsey, William's child, died Dec, 1814. 
Butler, Widow, of the city of Middletown, died Feb. 9, 

1815. 
Bailey, Oliver, Capt., age 54, died May 27, 1817. 
Birdsey, Alva, son of Seth B., age 18, died Aug. 1, 1817. 
Birdsey, Capt. David's wife Abigail, " May 27, 1818. 
Birdsey, Widow Abigail, age 74, '' April 5, 1822. 

Birdsey, William, died June 4, 1823. 
Birdsey, Eachel, wife of Abel the 2d, died June 18, 1823. 
Birdsey, Capt. Seth, age 48, died Aug. 30, 1825. 
Birdsey, Capt. David, age 77, died Sept. 12, 1825. 
Birdsey, Benjamin, age 39, '' Oct. 20, 1825. 
Birdsey, Abel, son of William, " 1828. 
Birdsey, Abel, age about 82, " 1832. 
Birdsey, Almon's wife, died Nov. 20, 1832. 
Birdsey, Almon's child, " Jan. 20, 1833. 
Bradley, Catherine, " April 18, 1833. 

Bacon, William's child, " April 29, 1833. 
Birdsey, John Jr., age about 16, died May 8, 1833. 
Birdsey, Kutli, wid.^ age 87, " May 12, 1834. 
Birdsey, Amner, wid., age 87, " March 5, 1835. 
Bailey, Maryette, age 11, daughter of Richard, died 

Aug. 4, 1835!" 
Bacon, George's child, died Sept. 15, 1835. 
Brainard, Minerva, age 27, died April 6, 1836. 
Bailey, Amner, wid., age, " Jan. 13, 1838. 
Birdsey, Hiram's child, " Jan., 1838. 

Bailey, Eunice, wife of Eichard M., died Nov. 29, 18 . 



98 

Birdsey, Henry, son of Samuel B., died July 16, 1842. 
Birdsey, Xancy, wid. of Abel B., " 1846. 
Birdsey, Samuel, age 75, died Aug. 7, 1850. 
Birdsey, John, age 69, " Nov. 13, 1856. 
Birdsey, Emerson, age, '' March 20, 1864. 
Bailey, Sylvester C, age, " Jan. 26, 1864. 
Birdsey, Buth, age 89, "' unmarried, 1866. 
Bennett, Jane M., wife of P. W. B., age 36, died 

Jan. 25, 1863. 
Birdsey, Phineas. 

Chilson, Asaph's wife, died Sept. 5, 1761. 
Coe, Eeuben's wife, " Nov. 17, 1766. 
Oamp, Edward's child, " April 14, 1768. 
Coe, Ezra, son of David, " Dec. 2,1771. 
Ooe, Abigail, wid., " July 16, 1775. 

Coe, Nathan's child, " Sept. 10, 1776. 
Coe, Dea. Joseph's wife, " Sept. 22, 1776. 
Clark, Samuel, '' Jan. 27, 1777. 

Clark, Samuers child, '' Feb. 10, 1777. 
Coe, John^s child, " Dec. 1, 1778. 

Coe, Seth's child, '' Feb. 13, 1779. 

Cone, Beriah's child, died June 5, 1779. 
Clark, Widow, " July 15, 1779. 

Coe, Elizabeth, " April 27, 1782. 

Camp, Bela's wife, " Nov. 9, 1782. 
Coe, Deacon Joseph, " June 10, 1784. 
Coe, David, Jr.'s child, ^' Jan. 7, 1787. 
Coe, Eli's child (still born), died Feb. 12, 1787. 
Coe, Eeuben's wife, " April 17, 1788. 

Coe, Nathan, Jr.'s child, " Feb. 19, 1789. 

Coe, Sanford, " May 9, 1789. 

Coe, Nathan, Jr.'s wife, ^^ Feb. 12, 1794. 

Clark, Daniel, '' April 8, 1794. 

Cone, Elisha, Jr., " July 16, 1794. 

Camp, Edward, Ensign, " Feb. 6, 1795. 



99 

Coe, Elisha, son Edwin, died Nov. 22, 1796. 

Coe, IS'athan, " Dec. 10, 1796. 

Coe, Eli's child, " Jan. 23, 1798. 

Camp, Lemuel, " July 21, 1798. 

Coles, William's child, " Sept. 15, 1798. 

Coe, Joseph's child, " Oct. 21, 1798. 

Do. " Oct. 26, 1798. 

Coles, William's child, " Dec. 16, 1799. 

Coe, Seth, Jr. (Black Kiver), " June 17, 1800. 
Coles, William's child, " Oct. 21, 1800. 

Cone, Hannah, ^' April 30, 1800. 

Coles, Widow, " Sept. 9, 1801. 

Coe, Mary, " June 12, 1803. 

Chilson, Hope, " Kov. 3, 1803. 

Coe, Camp's wife (Mary Crowell), died AEarch 3, 1804. 
Coles, William's child," " July 30, 1804. 

Coe, Camp's child, " Oct. 7, 1805. 

Curtis, Benjamin's child (of Marlboro), died — 22, 1805. 
Curtis, Janjes, blown up in powder-mill, Feb. 18, 1806. 
Coles, Willianrs child, died Xov. 12, 1806. 
Coe, Capt. David, " Jan. 15, 1807. 

Cotton, Lucy, '' March 1, 1808. 

Coe, Hannah, wife of Capt. David Coe, died Oct. 16, 

1808. 
Coe, Eli, Jr.'s child, died July 17, 1812. 
Cone, Elisha, '' Sept. 30, 1812. 

Camp, Fairchild's child, died Dec. 30, 1812. 
Coe, Sophia, daughter of Col. Elisha Coe, died Xov. 8, 

1814. 
Coe, Boswell, son of Col. Elisha Coe, age 18, died Dec. 

18, 1814. 
Caples, Jesse's child (colored), died Dec. 1814. 
Curtis, Edward, " Sept. 30, 1816. 

Coles, William's daughter, Julia, " Oct. 18, 1816. 
Camp, Esther, widow, aged 93, " Dec. 27, 1817. 

LOFC 



100 

Coe, Eli's child, Setli, age 6, died May 16, 1818. 
Cora, Hannah, Widow, age 75, " Dec. 10, 1820. 
Chapin, Josiah's infant child, " 1821. 

Coe, Linns' child, Harriet Sophia, age 10 months, die( 

March, 1821. 
Caples, Jesse's wife (colored), drowned at Middle Had 

dam, I^ov. 17, 1821. 
Chapin, Jonah's child (still born), E"ov. 20, 1821. 
Coe, Linns' infant child, died Dec. 18, 1821. 

Coe, Cyrus, age 24, '' Sept. 22, 1822. 

Coe, Dana's child, " 1822. 

Cone, Widow, over 78 years, " Feb. IS, 1823. 

Carter, Asaph (colored), '' June 12, 1823. 

Caples, Emily, daughter of Jesse (colored), died Marc 

12, 1821. 
Clark, Hezeldah, age 18, blown np in powder-mill, 

March, 1825. 
Cook, Hezekiah's child, age 1, died Jan. 22, 1826. 
Coe, Eachel, wife of Elihu, age 13, died March 13, 1826. 
Clark, William, Jr.'s child, age 4, '' May 13, 1826. 
Clark, William, age 29, " No'v. 6, 1826. 

Coe, Cornwell, age 40, " Oct. 5, 1825. 

Cook, Hezekiah, age 37, " iS^ov. 15, 1826. 

Cook, Benjamin, age 21, " April 10, 1827. 

Coe, Hannah, w^le of Capt. Bela Coe, age 17, died Aug. 

9, 1827. 
Coe, Linus' child (scalded), died May, 1828. 
Caples, Jesse's child (colored), died 1828. 
Coe, Joseph, age 76, died July 9, 1828. 
Coe, Henry, son of Linus, age 7, died Aug. 1, 1829. 
Coe, Seth, age 73, died Sept. 26, 1829. 
Clark, Widow Amos' child, died 1830. 
Coe, Elizabeth, wid. of Joseph Coe, died 1830. 
Coe, Elisha, Col., age 68, " Dec. 1, 1831. 

Coe, Mary, wid. of Seth, " Jan. 1, 1832. 



101 

Coe, Betsey, wife of Liiuis, age 37, died Oct. IT, 1833. 
Coe, Laura Stow, wife of Curtis Coe, age 43, died 

Feb. Hi, 1831. 
Coe, Eli, Esq., age 77, died Friday, Marcli 27, 1835. 
Coe, Hamiali, age 21, " May 13, 1835. 
Coe, Elizabeth, wid. of Col. Elislia Coe, died June, 1835. 
Coe, Charlotte, daughter of Coruwell Coe, died Sept. 

21, 1835. 
Coles, Lucy, daughter of William, age 23, died Dec. 2, 

1835. 
Camp, Wid. E., died 1835. 
Coe, Dency, daughter of Corn well Coe, age 19, died 

(of consumptiou) Sept. 2, 1836. 
ue, Camp's w^fe, died Sept. 7, 1837. 
Joles, William, age 68, died Oct. 20, 1830. 
Coe, Dennis, age 39, " Ang. 9, 18 . 
Coe, Bela, Capt., age 63, '' Oct. 4, 1811. 
Coe, Timothy, " Sept. 16, 1812. 

Coe, Edwin, son of William, died July, 1813. 
Coe, Eachel, wife of Eli, age 83, died May 27, 1811. 
Cook, Lucius, died April 12, 1815. 
Coe, Delia, daughter of Col. E. Coe, died Sept., 1816. 
Coe, Camp, died April, 1816. 
Coe, Eli, age 62, died Jan. 30, 1817. 
Coe, Polly, wid. of Cornwell (died in city), Sept. 20, 

1819. 
Coe, Selena, daughter of Enoch Coe, age 16. 
Coe, William W. 

Coe, , son of Ebenezer Coe. 

Coles, Lois, wid. of Wm., age 83, died Dec. 5, 1855. 
Coe, Henry, son of Luther (died in Staddle Hill), 1855. 
Coe, Cyrenus, son of Luther (died in Meriden), 1858. 
Coe, Wilbur, son of John C. (twin), age 5 months. 
Coe, Elihu, died Aug. 24, 1859. 
Coe, Eunice, wife of Joseph, age 77, died Oct. 1, 1861. 

10 



102 

Coe, Joseph, Capt., age 91, died at his son's in Westfield, 

Oct. 1, 1874. 
Coe, Curtis, age 89, died July 6, 1875. 
Coe, Levi, Col., age 75, died Jan. 15, 1864. 
Coe, Hannah, age 21, died (of consumption) May 13, 

1835. 
Coe, Charlotte, age 15, died (of consumption) Sept. 23, 

1835. 
Coe, Mary, age 19, died (of consumption) Sept. 21, 1836. 
Dowd, Isaac, died May 27, 1769. 
Denison, Rev. Joseph, age 31, died Feb. 12, 1770. 
Dickinson, John, died Aug. 3, 1785. 
Dickinson, John's child, died Aug. 7, 1807. 
Doxy, Old Mrs., died July 25, 1811. 
Dickinson, Polly, wife of John Dickinson, died July, 

1825. 
Derby, Sarah, wife of Patrick, age 30, died Oct. 17, 1825. 
Derby, Eliza, wife of Samuel, " Aug. 26,1841. 

Dickinson, Celia, wife of John, age 73, " Dec. 23, 1865. 
Dickinson, John, age 92, died Sept. 23, 1878. 
Eggleston, James' child, " Dec. 25, 1771. 
Eggleston, James' wife, " March 9, 1872. 
Evarts, Widow, age 70, " ~ Sept. 8, 1825. 
Eaton, Hezekiah, died (of consumption) 1861. 
Eaton, Lydia E., daughter of Hezekiah, age 7, died 

Oct. 14, 18 . 
Ferry, Katie E., daughter of John, age 4, died Mar. 9, 

1859. 
Ferry, Jolin's child, died Sept. 4, 1857. 
Ferry, John (drowned in Staddle Hill), 1860. 
Flushing, Owen's child, died Jan. 11, 1766. 
Flushing, Owen's child, " Jan. 1, 1773. 
Freeman, David's child, " Aug. 12, 1776. 
Fluskey, Daniel, died (at Torrington) Oct. 11, 1789. 
Freeman, Hannah, wife of David, died Aug. 11, 1802. 



103 

Fluskey, Harriet, daughter of James, died Jan. 4, 1815. 
Ford, Mabel, died (of measles in her teens) Jan. 17, 1 816. 
Freeman, Blanford (colored slave), age 75, died Dec, 

1818. 
Freeman, Philemon (col.), age 70, died May 18, 1820. 
Freeman, Peter (col.), born in Africa, age 80 or 90, 

died Dec, 1820. 
Ferren, Sally, age 56, died Oct. 9, 1826. 
Freeman, David, age 81, " Dec 5, 1826. 
Green, Susan, daughter of Samuel Green, died Maj 26, 

1763. 
Griffen, Samuel's wife, died I^ov. 18, 1764. 
Green, Samuel's child, " May 3, 1765. 
Green, Samuel's wife, " April 4, 1767. 
Green, Samuel's 2d wife, " April 4, 1769. 
Griffen, Samuel's child, " Aug. 6, 1771. 
Green, Samuel's 3d wife, " Feb. 2, 1773. 
Green, Samuel, " July 10, 1775. 

Guild, Jeremiah's child, " Jan. 19, 1776. 
Guild, Samuel's child, " Feb. 23, 1776. 
Gibbs, Amasa's child, " Jan. 10, 1778. 
Gay, Lasher, died (of small-pox) April 18, 1778. 
Gould, Elizabeth, died Xov. 20, 1778. 
Guild, Samuel's child, died March 23, 1784. 
Griffen, Samuel's child, " May 26, 1787. 
Griffen, Samuel's 3d wife, died April 18, 1788. 
Guild, Eleanor, wid., " March 21, 1792. 

Goodrich, Samuel's wife, '' Jan. 20, 1809. 
Gouge, Old Mr., " Jan. 16, 1813. 

Gay, John, from Vermont, died Aug. 26, 1824. 
Geer, George, age 46, " Sept. 26, 1833. 

Geer, Samuel, age 56, " Feb. 7, 1835. 

Grover, Jared's child, " May 6, 1845. 

Geer, Elizabeth, wife of George, died Nov. 14, 1845. 
Geer, Charles' child, died 1846. 



104 

Geer, Submit, age 68, died Dec. 25, 1852. 
Hubbard, Ebeuezer's wife, died May 22, 1761. 
Hawley, Samuel Stow's child, died May 13, 1762. 
Hawley, Hope, died Jan. 21:, 1763. 
Hubbard, Elijali's child, died Sept. 9, 1767. 
Hale, Abigail, wid., " March 5, 1770. 

Hale, Hezeldah's daughter, Eunice, died Jan. 13, 1770. 
Hale, Joseph, son to Hezekiah, '' Nov. 20, 1770. 

Harris, Sarah, wid., died Jan. 1, 1775. 
Howard, Mary, wid., " Sept. 5, 1775. 
Higby, Edward, " 'Nov. 21, 1775. 

Hawley, Samuel Stow's child, died Jan. 24, 1776. 
Hubbard, Ebenezer, '' March, 1776. 

Hale, Hezekiah's wife, " March, 1776. 

Hubbard, Elijah's child (still born), Aug. 16, 1776. 
Hubbard, Elijah's wife, died Dec. 7, 1776. 
Hubbard, Lydia, wid., '* Marcli 28, 1779. 
Hale, Josepii's wife, " Jan. 22, 1779. 

Hubbard, Jedediah, " Dec. 10, 1780. 

Hale, Hezekiah's 2d wife, died Aug. 29, 1782. 
Hale, Joseph, 2d, ^' July 3, 1785. 

Hand, Ebenezer, " March 14, 1787. 

Hale, Joseph, " May 24, 1790. 

Hawley, Seth's child, " Jan. 12, 1792. 

Hand, Benjamin's child, " April 18, 1793. 
Hand, Benjamin's child, " June 8, 1793. 
Hall, Jabez, Capt., " July 12, 1797. 

Hawley, Samuel Stow, " Dec. 20, 1798. 

Hawley, Kuth, wid., " Aug. 9, 1801. 

Hand, Benjamin's child, " Aug. 30, 1801. 
Hawley, Miller's child, " Aug. 16, 1802. 

Hickling, Katy, wife of John, died Aug. 8, 1 802. 
Hambkton, Widow, " Nov. 8, 1802. 

Hand, Benjamin's child, " June 5, 1805. 

Hoadley, Abel (deranged, drowned) June 12, 1805, 



105 

Hall, Widow, died Oct. 15, 1805. 

Hawley, Nancy's child, died May 13, 1807. 

Hough, Aaron's child, " June 30, 1807. 

Henry, Widow, '' Nov. 8, 1807. 

Hamlin, George, died (fit) July 27, 1808. 

Hoadley, Dr. Jehiel's wife, age 57, died Jan. 1, 1810. 

Hoadley, Dr. Jehiel, age 66, " March 2, 1810. 

Hawley, Christopher, died Sept. 9, 1812. 

Hale, Hezekiah, " Nov. 18, 1813. 

Hotchlviss, infant child, " Feb. 1, 1816. 

Hawley, Abigail, wife of Samuel H., age 59, died June, 

1817. ^ 
Hawley, Samuel, age 60, died May 14, 1820. 
Hall, Elijah, died j'an. 16, 1822. 
Hubbard, Submit, age 83, died March 2, 1825. 
Hale, Hezekiah, age 48, " Oct. 31, 1825. 
Hubbard, Henry, " Dec. 27, 1834. 

Hall, Miles' wife, " Sept., 1839. 

Hale, Julia, wife of Joseph, died July 11, 1845. 
Hale, Phineas, age 26, died (of consumption) Jan. 20, 

1845. 
Hale, Koswell, died (of consumption). 
Hersey, Mila, daughter of Seth Miller. 
Hale, Nancy, wid. of Hezekiah, age 93 yrs. and 4 mos., 

died Aug. 31, 1878. 
Hale, Joseph, age 75, died at Cuyahoga, Ohio (buried 

in Middlefield), Ang. 16, 1855. 
Ives, Noel, age 73, died March 27, 1838. 
Ives, Eunice, wid. of Noel, age 80, died 1855. 
Ives, Sherman, age 67, died Oct. 21, 1871. 
Kimball, A. Tyler's son, " June 17, 1792. 
Kimball, Wid. Their, " March 25, 1807. 
Kenyon, John, " March 22, 1810. 

Kimball, Ira, age 26, " Aug. 13, 1817. 
Kimball, Asa's child, age 3 months, died Oct. 28, 1821. 

10* 



106 

Kimball, Asa's infant child, died March 8, 1828. 
Kenjon's twin children (on Col. Coe's farm), died Nov., 

1833. 
Kimball, A. Tyler, age 77, died May 5, 1834. 
Kimball, Wid. Sarah,"age 78, " Nov. 9, 1 839. 
Kelsey, Cyrus' child, age about 3, died April 11, 1844. 
Kimball, Asa, age 80, died Dec. 25, 1874. 
Kimball, Mary, wife of Asa, died Feb. 4, 1877. 
Leaming, Matthias' child, " Nov. 23, 1762. 

Lyman, John, died May 21, 1763. 
Long, Widow, " June 14, 1764. 
Lewis, Kebecca's child, died Feb. 13, 1767. 
Latimer, Elizabeth's child, died Jan. 3, 1773. 
Learning, Aaron's child, " Dec. 28, 1775. 
Lyman, Phineas, " Sept. 13, 1776. 

Lyman, Dr. Eliluvs child, " April 27, 1780. 
Lyman, Dr. Elihu's child, " Nov. 24, 1781. 
Lucas, David's child, " April 23, 1795. 

Lung, Jerusha, " Jan. 11, 1796. 

Lyman, Phineas, " April 5, 1799. 

Lee, Elijah's child, " Sept. 28, 1800. 

Lee, Elijah's child, " Oct. 21, 1801. 

Loomis, Asahel's child (still born), 1802. 
Lucas, David's child (still born), July 19, 1807. 
Loomis, Old Mr., died Sept. 16, 1807. 
Lee, Elijah's wife, " Dec. 30, 1810. 
Lyman, David, Jr. (died in Vermont), Mar. 15, 1811. 
Lee, Elijah, died May 3, 1811. 
Lyman, Alanson's wife, died Jan. 13, 1814. 
Lyman, David, Col., age 69, died Feb. 28, 1815. 
Lyman, Alfred's child, age 5 mos., died Mar. 15, 1821. 
Lyman, Alfred, infant child, " April 10, 1824. 

Lyman, Cornelia, died May 13, 1824. 
Lyman, wid. of Elihu, age 26, died Aug. 14, 1825. 
Lucas, Orrin, age 25, " Jan. 22, 1826. 



107 

Lyman, Phineas, son of William, age 18, died Feb. 13, 

1826. 
Lyman, Adaline, daughter of Wm., died Aug. 26, 1826. 
Lyman, Andrew, age 36, died May 10, 1819. 
Lyman, Alma, " Oct., 1830. 

Lyman, Sally, wid., age 78, died Feb. 29, 1831. 
Lyman, Eliza, age about 16, " April 25, 1832. 
Lyman, Esther, wid., age 77, " May 4, 1836. 
Lyman, Alfred, " May 4, 1843. 

Lyman, Aunt Anna, age 85, " Aug. 25, 1844. 
Lucas, William's wife and child, died 1846. 
Lucas, Josiah, died June 9, 1851. 
Lyman, Elihu, age 23, died Aug. 26, 1848. 
Lyman, Adeline, age 20, '' July 5, 1859. 
Lucas, Mary, wid. of Josiah, age 76, died July 5, 1870. 
Lee, Roswell, age 6Q, died Jan. 31, 1873. 
Markes,William's child, died April 27, 1763. 
Miller, Giles' wife, " June 4, 1764. 

Miller, WiUiam's child, '' Feb. 5, 1765. 
Miller, Benjamin, first settler in Middleiield, age 76, 

died July 9, 1769. 
McCough, Timothy's child, died March 22, 1771. 
Miller, E. Joseph's wife, " June 2, 1771. 

Mark, Samuel, died Dec. 8, 1772. 
Miller, Capt. David's wife, died Oct. 9, 1773. 
Miller, Jacob's child, " July 6, 1774. 

Miller, Capt. David's wife's child, died Dec. 1, 1775. 
Miller, Richard's child, '^ Aug. 9, 1776. 

Mark, Abigail, died Xov. 25, 1776. 
Miller, Joseph, son of Amos, died Dec. 23, 1776. 
Miller, Amos, died Jan. 17, 1777. 
Miller, Jacob's child, died March 25, 1777. 
Miller, David, son of Amos, died Nov. 27, 1777. 
Miller, Richard's child, " Dec. 22, 1777. 

Miller, William Jr.'s child, died Aug. 28, 1778. 



108 

Miller, William^s wife, died Oct. 23, 17T8. 

Mark, William^s wife, " Nov. 8, 1778. 

Miller, Jacob's child, (born and died) May 25, 1779. 

Meigs, Ezekiel, died Dec. 19, 1779. 

Miller, Kicliard, '' June 28, 1780. 

Miller, Capt. Timothy, died March 1, 1783. 

Miller, Jacob's child, (still born) May 21, 1785. 

Miller, Benjamin, (drowned at E^ewfields) April 17, 

1786.^ 
Miller, Dea. Ichabod's wife, died Aug. 22, 1787. 
Miller, Ambrose's child, " 

Miller, Dea. Ichabod, " 

Miller, Hezekiah's child, " 

Miller, Elisha's child, " 

Marks, Kuth, " 

Miller, Capt. David, " 

Miller, William's wife, " 

Miller, Elisha's child, 
Miller, Hezekiah's child, " 

Miller, Dea. Giles' wife, " 

Miller, Abigail, "Wid., " 

Miller, D. Brainerd's child, " 
Miller, Ichabod, Jr., '* 

Miller, Lucy, died Xov. 3, 1794. 

Miller, Isaac's daughter, Cornelia, died Mar. 18, 1795. 
Miller, Curtis, son of Isaac, died March 31, 1795. 
Miller, William, Jr. (killed in saw-mill), Nov. 2, 1795. 
Miller, Hannah, wid., died Sept. 3, 1796. 
Miller, Hezekiah's child (still born), May 26, 1800. 
Miller, Richard (died at Savannah, Georgia), April 4, 

1802. 
Miller, Dea. Giles, age 77, died March 4, 18U4. 
Miller, William, died March 1, 1804. 
Miller, Ambrose, '' Jan. 9, 1805. 
Miller, Joel, " Nov. 11, 1805. 



Feb. 


IT, 


1788. 


Aug 


9, 


1788. 


Oct. 


18, 


1788. 


- 27, 1 


788. 


Dec. 


23, 


1788. 


Feb. 


28, 


1789. 


Jan. 


5,] 


L790. 


July 


6," 


1790. 


Feb. 


24, 


1792. 


Feb. 


3, 


1793. 


Sept. 


13 


, 1793. 


Sept 


23 


, 1793. 


Sept 


20 


, 1794. 



109 



Mark, Susanna, died Jnne 3, 180 7. 

Miller, Widow, '' Sept. 12, 1807. 

Miller, David's child, died in Granville, Mar. 22, 1808. 

Mark, William, " May 1, 1809. 

Miller, Hezekiali's child, died May 5, 1809. 

Miller, Asher, son to Giles, died Oct. 14, 1809. 

Melony, ITancy's child, " May 15, 1810. 

Miller, Chauncey, son of Ambrose, died Oct. 5, 1813. 

Miller, Jacob, Jr., age 35, died (of measles) Feb. 5, 

1816. 
Miller, Jennie, wife of Giles, age 52, died Nov. 17, 1816. 
Miller, Isaac, Esq., age 79, " Jnly 27, 1817. 
Miller, Seth Jun.'s child (age 3 mos.), died Mar. 8, 1819. 
Miller, Joel Bradley, age 31, (killed by fall of tree) 

Jan. 3, 1820. 
Miller, Joshua's child, died I^ov. 22, 1821. 
Miller, Ichabod, age 84 yrs. and 10 mos., died March 

12, 1824. 
Miller, John W.'s wife, age 41, died July, 1825. 
Miller, Horace, age 37, '' Aug. 7, 1825. 

Miller, wid. of AYm., age 83, '' Oct^ 18, 1825. 
Miller, Joseph, son of Seth, age 35, died Nov. 11, 1825. 
Miller, Sarah, wife of Hezekiah, age 60, died Nov. 28, 

1825. 
Miller, Sarah, daughter of Horace, age 8 years, died Dec. 

19, 1825. 
Miller, Euth, wid. of Jacob, age 47, died Jan. 9, 1826. 
Miller, Jeremiah's daughter, age 12, " Nov. 4, 1826. 
Miller, Elizabeth, daughter of Ichabod, age 62, Oct. 21, 

1827. 
Miller, Miranda, wife of Col. Amos M., died May, 1828. 
Miller, Ichabod, Capt., died Nov., 1829. -» 
Miller, Seth, Capt., " 1830. 

Miller, Seth, '' April, 1831. 

Miller, Elizabeth, wid., age 83, died Dec. 3, 1831. -. 



110 

Miller, Joshua, died July 4, 1832. 

Miller, Elilnvs infant cliild, died March, 1833. 

Miller, Amanda, daughter of Elisha, Jr., died Oct. 14, 

1833. 
Miller, Hannah, wid., age 91, died Dec. 17, 1833. 
Miller, William's (infant child), died 1833. 
Miller, Hannah, wife of Capt. Seth, died Aug., 1834. 
Miller, Nancy, child of David B., " Oct. 1, 1835. 
Miller, Almon's infant child, " Dec. 7, 1835. 

Miller, Jacob, age 92, died April 8, 1836. 
Miller, Elisha, age 89 (nearly), died Feb. 14, 1839. 
Miller, Giles, age 58, died Nov. 26, 1839. 
Miller, Henry W., age 10, son of Almon, died Aug. 8, 

1841. 
Miller, Adah, died Oct. 3, 1842. 
Miller, Amos' child, died Feb. 27, 1843. 
Miller, Cornelia, wife of David B., died Sept., 1844. 
Miller, Esther, age 87, died Oct. 20, 1845. 
Miller, Charity, wid. of Seth M., died Nov. 15, 1845. 
Miller, Parsons, son of Elisha, age 25, died Mar. 1, 1847. 
Mix, Sally, age 63, died March 13, 1847. 
Miller, Elihu, age 59, (died suddenly) Aug. 21, 1847. 
Miller, Jeremiah. 

Miller, Sarah, wid. of Capt. Ichabod. 
Miller, Louisa (died at Miles Hall's), 1854. 
Miller, Seth's child (at the Abel house), 1854. 
Miller, Joshua, died 1853. 

Miller, Nelson's child (Selena), died Aug. 6, 1853. 
Merchant, Eh, died April 5, 1858. 
Miller, Emily M., daughter of Benjamin M., died April 

1, 1859. 
Miller, Roxanna, wife of Jesse M., age 33, died Aug. 19, 

1860. 
Miller, Mary, age 77, died 1861. 
Miller, Clara, wid. of Giles, died July 14, 1862. 



Ill 

Miller, Asher, age 59, died July 19, 1865. 

Miller, Ira, aged 75. 

Miller, George K., " Nov. — , 18—. 

Miller, Willard, (died at Durham) Dec. IT, 1870. . 

Miller, Henry L., age 59, died April 24, 1874. 

Nichols, Sylvanns' child, (still-born) July 11, 1791. 

Nichols, Sylvanus' child, died Dec. 11, 1793. 

Nichols, Sylvanus' wife, died Oct. 17, 1821. 

Norton, Mary, wife of James, age 27, died Mar. 2, 1814. 

Nichols, Sylvanus, age 90, died Oct. 14, 1849. 

North, Delia, wife of Charles, and daughter of N. 

Warner. 
Nichols, Sylvanus, age 58, died March 1, 1859. 
Parsons, Stephen's wife, " Feb. 11, 1777. ^ 
Parsons, Stephen s 2d wife, " Sept. 29, 1781. 
Paine, Widow, " July 3, 1786. 

Parsons, Aaron, " July 28, 1791. 

Pomp, old blind Slave of Abel Birdsey, 1831. 
Phillis, wid. of Peter (col.), once slave of Dr. Pawsom, 

age 82, died Oct. 16, 1836. 
Prout, Eliza, wife of Sylvester. 
Prout, Mary, daughter of Sylvester. 
Potter, Francis' wife. 
Potter, Francis' 2d wife. 
Ranney, Rhoda, died Jan. 11, 1772. 
Roberts, Noah's child, died Feb. 10, 1774. 
Roberts, David's child, " Sept. 3, 1776. 
Rockwell, John, " Jan. 18, 1780. 

Rockwell, Phebe, wid., " Dec. 14, 1782. 
Rockwell, Joshua's child, drowned June 28, 1790. 
Roberts, David, Jun.'s wife, died Dec. 15, 1793. 
Roberts, Nathan's child, " Jan. 31, 1795. 

Ranney, Hannah, ." Mar. 30, 1798. 

Roberts, David's wife, '' May 23, 1802. 

Richardson, Mrs., " July 29, 1811. 



112 

Rich, Batlislieba. 

Eoberts, David, died Kov. 15, 1818. 

Eoberts, Ami's wife, " 1820. 

Roberts, Ami's child, " Sept., 1821. 

Roberts, Ami, '' Feb. 24, 1843. 

Rice, Hezekiah, " 1852. 

Ross, Abraham's child. 

Ross, Adam's wife, died 1855. 

Rice, Lydia, wid of Hezekiah R., age 96, died 1861. 

Stow, Dan (fit — frozen), died Jan. 16, 1770. 

Spencer, Himor's child, " Jan. 20, 1770. 

Scovel, Elizabeth, " Nov. 11, 1781. 

Squires, Jolm, " Jan. 18, 1782. 

Squires, John's widow, " Feb. 7, 1783. 

Smith's child, '' Feb. 29, 1784. 

Stocking, Martha^ widow, " Nov. 13, 1790. 

Stocker, Mary, widow, '' Nov. 22, 1793. 

Stow, Eliakim, " 1797. 

Stow, Obed's wife Anna, age 32, died Nov. 23, 1802. 

Stevens, Robert, died Nov. 13, 1803. 

Stow, Jemima, wife of Elihu S., died Oct. 12, 1805. 

Sexton, Jonathan's wife, " J^Ay ^? 1806. 

Spencer, Elihu's child, " Jan. 20, 1807. 

Stow, EHhn, " Nov. 13, 1812. 

Stow, William, son of Obed, " Nov. 11, 1814. 

Strong, Widow, of Durham. 

Sizer, Comfort, son of Lot S., age 15, died March, 1816. 

Spencer, Elihu, age over 70, died Sept. 16, 1820. 

Stow, Zaccheus' wife, died Oct. 26, 1821. 

Skinner, Nancy, w^ife of Horace, age 33, died Aug. 10, 

1828. [The 2d grave in the new ground for her.] 
Stow, Albert G., age 28, died (at Stow, Ohio), Feb. 

25, 1829. 
Spencer, Diadema, died Jan. 15, 1831. 
Stow, Eunice, " May 21, 1838. 

Stow, Elihu, age 78, " April 19, 1830. 



113 

Stow, Delia, age 26, daughter of AY arren P., died Auo^. 

2, 1839. 
Stow, Obed, age 72 (interred in old burving-gronnd), 

died Sept. 5, 1839. 
Stow, Joshna (Jndge), age 80, died Oct. 10, 1842. 
Spencer, Lucy, wife of Ezra, " Feb. 21, 1845. 
Spencer, Delia Ann, age 14. " May 6, 1845. 
Spencer, Saninel's child, " Jan. 30, 1842. 

Stow, Lucy, wid. of Obed, " April 10, 1853. 

Stow, Euth, wid. of Judge S., age 90, died Feb. 23, 1852. 
Stow, Mary, wid. of Elihu (at Granville, Mass.), 1853. 
Stow, Warren P., age 63, died April 5, 1856. 
Skinner, LTorace, Dea., age 54, died Oct. 4, 1848. 
Stevens, Mary, died (at Capt. David Birdsey's place) 

May 20, 1858. 
Skinner, Elvina, died (of consumption) March 8, 1859. 
Smith, John, aged TO, died Nov. 18, 1859. 
Skinner, Emily, died (of consumption) Sept. 22, 1860. 
Starr, Matilda, wife of Luther, age TO (of cancer), 1861. 
Stow, E. W., wid. of AY. P. Stow, age 85, died Feb. 5, 

18TT. 
Turner, Jonathan's child, died Feb. 16, 1T63. 
Turner, John, son of Stephen, died Mar. 13, 1T64. 
Turner, Jonathan's wife, " July 29, 1T66. 

Topping, Joseph's child, " June 4, 1TT9. 

Turner, Stephen, " May 5, 1T80. 

Topping, Elias, " April IT, 1T81. 

Turner, Hannah, wid., '' May 16, 1T90. 

Turner, Joel's child, " Oct. 25, 1800. 

Truby, Mrs., " Oct. 8, 1802. 

Turner, Stephen's, Capt., child, (still-born) June 12, 1803. 
Turner, Stephen, Capt, died Aug. 10, 1804. 
Turner, Elizabeth, w. of Stephen, died Aug. 13, 1804. 
Turner, Edward's child, died Nov. 22, 180T. 



114 I 

Turner, Jonathan, died Jan. 9, 1811. 

Turner, Eunice, wid. of Jonathan, died July 6, 1811. i 

Turner, Edward's child, 6 mos. old, died Sept. 17, 1818. " 

Toals, wife of Amos, died Oct. 10, 1813. 

Turner, Edward's child, 11 hours old, Feb. 28, 1819. 

Turner, Edward's child, died Jan. 16, 1820. 

Turner, Emory, age 20, " Jan. 8, 1824. 

Turner, Edward's child, 3 mos. old, Aug. 4, 1827. 

Thomas, Snsan, age 15, died Nov. 26, 1827. 

Turner, Theron, son of John, died Dec. 31, 1842. 

Thomas, Marvin, age 48, died (heart disease) Oct. 3, 

1853. 
Thomas, Lncretia, wid. of Marvin T. 
Wetmore, Beriah, Jnn.'s cliild, died Feb. 10, 1764. 
Wetmore, Beriah, Jun.'s 2d child, " Jan. 28, 1765. 
Wetmore, David's child, " June 17, 1766. 

Wetmore, Dorothy, " ]^ov. 26, 1769. 

Ward, William's wife, '' Dec. 25, 1770. 

Wetmore, Hope's child, " April 4, 1772. 

Warner, Samuel, Jnn.'s cliild, (still-born) Feb. 16, 1773. 
Warner, Samuel, Capt., died Sept. 3, 1773. 
Wetmore Samuel (of Winchester), died Dec. 30, 1773. 
White, Jedediah's child, died Feb. 8, 1774. 
Wetmore, David, died at Litchfield, June 15, 1774. 
Ward, William, Jun.'s cliild, died Dec. 22, 1775. 
Wetmore, Thomas' wife, " April 13, 1776. 

Wetmore, Thomas, " April 23, 1776. 

Wetmore, Nathaniel, son of Joseph, died July 23, 1776. 
Wetmore, Amos, Capt.'s child, " Aug. 19, 1779. 

Wetmore, Ethan's cliild, " Dec. 14, 1779. 

Wetmore, Capt. Caleb's wife, " Feb. 7, 1783. 

Wetmore, Joseph, died June 23, 1783. 
Walker, James' child, (still-born) Oct. 17, 1783. 
Ward, William, Capt., died Feb. 25, 1786. 
Ward, Dr. Asher's child, " June 10, 1786. 
Wetmore, Ethan's child, died Dec. 14, 1779. 



115 

VVetinore, (Japt. Calol), died Marcli 4, 1788. 
Ward, Dr. Aslier, " Aug. 22, 1788. 

Wasliburii, Joseph's child, died Aug. 28, 1788. 
Wetioore, Sarah, age 29, " Aug. 16, 1791. 
Wetmore, Polly, or Mary, age 22, daughter of John, 

died Dec. 10, 1792. 
Wetmore, Ethan, died Dec. 14, 1792. 
Ward, Timothy, " Jan. 7, 1793. 
Wetmore, Lois', " Jan. 24, 1794. 
Wetmore, Jesse's child, died Jan. 31, 1794. 
Ward, William, Jun., " April 18, 1795. 
Webster, Widow, " Jan. 25, 1795. 

Wetmore, Jesse's child, " Jan. 31, 1795. 
Ward, James' child, " Oct. 2, 1797. 

Walker, James' child, " Jan. 31, 1798. 
Wetmore, Jesse's child, " May 22, 1801. 
Wetmore, Jesse's 3d child," June 12, 1801. 
Ward, Sylvester's child, " July 18, 1804. 
Ward, Comfort, died (in Carolina) Oct. 27, 1806. 
Wetmore, Francis, died Sept. 9, 1807. 
Wetmore, Bela, " May 5, 1809. 

Wetmore, Daniel's wife, died Sept. 14, 1813. 
Wetmore, Joseph, " Aug. 19, 1814. 

Ward, Irena, daughter of James, died Xov. 20, 1814. 
WaKl, Sylvester's child (son), " Sept. 11, 1815. 

Wetmore, Daniel, age 91, " Jan., 1817. 

Ward, Mary, wife of William W., age 71, died Oct. 15, 

1817. 
Ward, William, age 75, died :N"ov. 26, 1819. 
Wetherell, Simeon's child, (drowned) June 26, 1820. 
Wright, Eliza, age 26, wife of Horace (paper-maker), 

died Oct. 31, 1825. 
Ward, James, age 55, died Sept. 9, 182-. 
White, Benjamin, " May, 182-. 

Ward, Elizabeth, age 24, died (consumption) Jan., 183-. 
Ward, Capt. James T.,*age 88, died April 9, 183-. 



116 

It is probable tliat most of those wlio died in 
Middlefield before a common burial ground was 
selected were interred in the First Society. As 
our record does not go back to the time of the 
first burial in the yard by 23 years, this desidera- 
tum in part has been supplied by copying from 
some of the old moss-grown gravestones. This 
record of the deaths in Middlefield was kept by 
Hezekiah Hale (sexton) from 1761 till January, 
1814, and then by Joshua Stow till near the time 
of his death, Oct. 10, 1812. Since his death the 
record has been irregularly kept and is very 
imperfect. As the '^ Graveyard " in Middlefield 
was not laid out till the year 1737, the dead 
previous to this, must have been interred in the 
First Society within the limits of the city of 
Middletown, for the first settlers came from said 
Society. Allowing the settlement of Middlefield 
to have occurred in 1700, there would be a 
period of 37 years before the '^ North Graveyard " 
was made a place of sepulture. The first grave 
dug in this yard was for Hannah Turner, wife of 
Stephen Turner, in 1738, as marked on the grave- 
stone. 

V Samuel Wetmore, first settler, died in 1746, 
age 91 years. 

John Chilson died 1747. 

Jonathan Dowd died in 1745. 

Benjamin Miller, first settler, died in 1747, 
age 76 years. 

Abraham Turner's wife died 1 750. 

Naomi Parsons died 1753. 



117 



Mercy Miller, wid. of Benjamin, died 1756. 
David Gould died 1756. 



HOUSEHOLDERS IN MIDDLETOWN IN 1670, TWENTY 

YEARS AFTER THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF 

FIFTEEN FAMILIES IN 1650. 



Allen, Thomas. 

Allen, Obadiah. 

Bacon, Nathaniel. 

Brio'o^s, William. 

Bow, Alexander. 

Corn well, AVilliam. 

Corn well, John. 

Cornwell, Samuel. 

Cornwell, William, J] 

Collins, Nathaniel. 

Collins, Samuel. 

Call, Honoiy. 

Clements, Jeffreys. 

Cheney, William. 

Durant, George. 

Eggleston, Samuel. 

Foster, Edward. 

Hubbard, Joseph. 

Hubbard, Daniel. 

Hubbard, Thomas. 

Harris, Daniel. 

Harris, William. 

Hall, John. 

Hall, Richard. 

Hall, John, Jr. 

Hall, Samuel. 
11* 



Hamlin, Giles. 
Hubbard, George. 
Johnson, Isaac. 
Kirby, John. 
Lucas, William. 
Lane, Isaac. 
Miller, Thomas. 
Martin, Anthony. 
Ranny, Thomas. 
Savage, John. 
Stocking, Samuel. 
Stow, Samuel. 
Stow, Thomas. 
Stow, John. 
Sage, David. 
Tappan, James. 
Turner, Edward. 
Wetmore, Thomas. 
Wilcox, Thomas. 
W^ilcox, John. 
Ward, John. 
Ward, William. 
Warner, Andrew. 
Warner, Rol)ei't. 
Warner, John. 
White, Thomas. 



118 

Of tlie first settlers, tlie Bacon, Hall, and Corn- 
well families were direct from England. Sage 
and Wetmore from Wales. Ranny from Scot- 
land. Hubbard, Wilcox, Lucas, Warner, and 
Allen from Hartford and Windsor, Conn. Kerby, 
Harris, from Boston. Miller and Ward from 
Rowley, Mass. Stow from Concord, Mass. 
Johnson from Roxbury. 



CENSUS OF 
MIDDLEFIELD BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, 

SEPTEMBER, 184:8. 



EAST SCHOOL DISTRICT. 

Fam. Pop. Fam. Pop. 

Smith Birdsey, 1 4 Amos Miller & Mary, 2 6 

Amos Coe, 1 5 George E. Miller, 1 4 

Benjamin Miller, 1 2 Ira Miller, 1 5 

Hiram Miller, 1 5 Charles Hubbard, 1 8 

Elisha Miller, 1 3 Eoswell Lee, 1 5 

Benjamin Coe, 1 4 Elisha Bailey, 1 5 

Hiram Birdsey, 1 3 Horace Walmsley 

Daniel H. Birdsey, 1 4 (col.), "^ 1 3 

Samuel Birdsey, 1 2 Cornelius Hall, 1 6 

Alvin Birdsey, 1 4 Lucy Coe, widow, 1 4 

Curtis Coe, 1 5 

SOUTH SCHOOL DISTRICT. 

Fam. Pop. Fam. Pop. 

John Birdsey, 1 Sally Cook, widow, 1 1 

William Lyman, 1 11 Isaac Coe, 1 3 

Edwin Skinner, 1 3 Rev. James More, 1 5 

Marvin Thomas, 1 3 Andrew Coe, 1 7 

Horace Skinner, 1 10 Eunice Ward, wid., 1 3 

Enoch Coe, 1 5 Electa Boardman, 1 3 

Elbert Miller, 1 5 Mrs. Skinner, 1 1 

James Thrall, 1 6 Mary Lucas, widow, 1 2 



120 



Fam. 

James E'orton, 1 

Eben Coe, 1 

Lois Coe, widow, 1 

Nelson Coe, 1 

Elias C. Coe, 1 

William W. Coe, 1 

Albert Skinner, 1 

Elbert Coe, 1 



Pop. Fam. Pop. 

7 Olmstead Brainerd, 1 4 

4 Abigail Miller, wid., 1 4 

3 Roswell Bailey, 1 5 
9 Jeremiah Miller, 1 4 

4 William P. Abel, 1 6 
6 Isaac Miller, 1 3 
6 Sylvester Mills, 1 2 
6 Russell Bailey, 1 5 



NORTH SCHOOL DISTRICT. 



Fam. Pop. 

George Bacon, 1 5 

Capt. Joseph Coe, 1 2 
Roswell Hale and 

Mother, 1 2 

Ichabod Miller, 1 5 
Jesse Miller and 

Mother, 1 5 

Amelia Coe, 1 3 

Luther Coe, 1 4 

Harley Hall, 1 6 

Miles Hall, 1 10 

Wid. Cook (toll-gate),l 2 

Amos Williams, 1 2 
Capt. John Bacon 

and O. Foster, 1 5 
Cornelia Johnson and 

sister, 1 4 

Sanford Coe, 1 5 



Wilson Cook, 



Fam. Pop. 

Polly Coe, w^idow, 1 1 

Sylvester Prout, 1 5 

Phineas M. Augur, 1 3 

Sylvan us Nichols, 1 4 

Calvin Hall, 1 3 

Hiram Hall, 1 3 

Horace Roberts, 1 6 

Lois Roberts, 1 1 

Levi Coe, Col., 1 3 

David B. Miller, 1 9 

John Williams, 1 5 

Nelson Miller, 1 4 

Joshua Miller, 1 2 

AugustusCarter(col.),l 4 

Lucy Stow, widow, 1 3 

Anna Skinner, 1 3 

Sabrina Geer, widow, 1 5 

George W. Miller, 3 



1 4 Polly Augur, 



FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
"Paper-mill Quarter," as first called. 

Fam. Pop. 

Augustus Burnham, 1 5 Warren Coles, 
Sherman Hubbard, 1 3 James Mulvany, 



1 1 



Fam. Pop. 

1 6 

1 8 



121 



Fam. Pop. 

Luther Starr, 1 3 

Simeon Wetlierill, 1 1> 

Stephen Grace, 1 4 

John Ferry, 1 C> 

Abraham Warner and 

David, 1 7 

John Korth, 1 4 

Kelson Aston, 1 2 

Ira 'N. Johnson, 1 7 

Peter Ash ton, 1 5 

Sibyl Aston, widow, 1 4 

Freeman Johnson, 1 5 

Phineas W. Birdsey, 1 5 

Eunice Ives, widow, 1 2 

Eliza Daniels, 1 4 

Chester Atkins, 1 2 

John lloss, 1 3 



Fam. Pop. 

JosiahWalmsley,(coI.) 1 3 

John Dickinson, 1 4 

John Lucas, 1 3 

Thomas Atkins, 1 

Harrison Bates, 2 

Asher Miller, 1 8 

Asa Kimball, 1 7 

Lewis Miller, 1 3 

Harvey Miller, 1 3 

Sylvester C. Bailey, 1 9 

Mary Weir, 1 11 

Josiali Benton, 1 2 

Eichard M. Bailey, 1 4 

Richard Russell, 1 8 

James Smith, 1 3 

Jared Grover, 1 4 



MIDDLEFIELD GliAND LEVY, A. D. 1747, 



Allen, Samuel (one of first settlers), 

Birclsey, John, 

Bartlett, Jolin, 

Bacon, Nathaniel, 

Bacon, Joseph, 

Coe, Joseph, Jr., 

Chilson, John, Jr., 

Camp, Abraham, 

Coe, Ephraim, 

Coe, David, . 

Camp, Edward, 

Cook, Jacob, . 

Coe, Robert, . 

Coe, Joseph, Capt., 

Chilson, John, 

Beaming, Jeremiah, 

Dowd, Jacob, 

Hubbai'd, Ebenezer, 

Hale, Joseph, 

Hale, Ebenezer, Jr., 

Lyman, John, 

Lyman, Noah, 

Lane, Elizabeth, 

Leaming, Matthias, 

Miller, Benjamin (one of first settlers). 



MS 


95 


119 11 


112 10 


80 18 


38 


2 


104 


5 


29 16 


63 12 


6 10 


83 


10 


86 


1 


31 





94 18 


9 


7 


66 


5 


33 16 


42 12 


64 


6 


71 





26 


6 


91 


7 


12 


2 


5 





50 15 


164 


4 



123 



Miller, Benjamin, Jr., 


. £102 \)s. 


Miller, Joseph, 


. 123 6 


Miller, Giles, 


25 8 


Miller, Joseph, Jr., . 


31 10 


Miller, Amos, 


. 109 


Miller, David, 


85 11 


Miller, Ichabod, 


. 112 


Parsons, Aaron, 


93 10 


Parsons, Moses, 


. 107 8 


Parsons, Simeon, 


8 8 


Parsons, Ithamar, 


11 14 


Parsons, Timothy, 


12 18 


Parsons, Moses, Sr., . 


13 16 


Rockwell, John, 


49 


Strickland, David, 


41 10 


Sheldon, Moses, 


41 


Stow, Hawley Samuel, 


31 12 


Stevenson, Amasa, . 


18 


Stow, Eliakim, 


92 18 


Stow, Daniel, 


36 2 


Talcot, John, 


98 


Turner, Stephen, 


81 18 


Tibbals, Joseph, 


3 2 


Talcot, Hezekiah, 


17 4 


Wetmore, Joseph, . 


75 8 


Ward, William, Jr., . 


45 18 


Wetmore, Samuel (one of first 


settlers), 104 7 


Wetmore, Fitz Jolm, 


18 


Wetmore, Benjamin, . 


33 


Warner, Samuel, Lieut., 


. Ill 6 



124 



Wetmore, Hezekiab, Jr 
Wetmore, Caleb, 
Wetmore, Hope, 
Wetmore, Samuel, Jr., 
Wales, Nathaniel, 
Wetmore, Beriah, Jr., 
Wetmore, Dorothy, . 





£18 05 




72 




6 13 




24 




32 12 




18 




25 16 



OLD PEOPLE OF MIDDLEFIELD. JULY 5, 1875. 



AGE. AGE. 

fMrs. Ross, widow, 91 ^'Warren Coles, 74 

*Sibyl Aston, widow, 82 '^Elias C. Coe, 88 

^Curtis Coe, 89 fMrs. Elias Coe, 87 

-^Jolni Dickinson, 89 ''Mrs. Eli Coe, 86 

*Mrs. Hale, widow, 89 *^Mrs. A. Bailey, wid., 82 
^-Richard :\L Bailey, 78 +Mrs. A. Rockwell, 75 
''^Thomas Atkins, 78 fMrs. D. Coe, wid., 75 
Mr. Fagan, 77 Mrs.W. Skinner, wid., 80 

*Mrs. W. Lyman,wid., 89 fMiss Almira Ward, 78 
fCol. Amos Miller, 79 *Miss Laura Darrow, 86 
fMrs. Ira Miller, wid., 80 ^Sylvester Hall, 78 

"^*Miss Harriet Miller, 78 Mrs. S. Nichols, 80 

*Mrs. John Birdsey, 86 Mrs. Benj. Miller, 81 
Patrick Dooley, 75 ''Miles Hall, 74 

Mrs. Doolev, 75 ^'Mrs.W.P. Stow, wid., 81 

*Hiram Miller, 76 

At this time there were more old people in 
this to^vn than at any other time since its settle- 
ment. 

[Those marked thus * known to have died before August, 1883; 
those marked thus f known to be living at that time.] 

12 



HISTORY OF [.OMI HILL 



Long Hill lies south of the city of Middle- 
town, Conn., and is three miles and ten rods long, 
and one mile and two hundred and twenty-seven 
rods wide, and contains about 3,656 square acres. 
Bounded, north, partly on the city line of Middle- 
town, and partly on Staddle Hill ; east, on the 
Farm Hill district ; south, on Durham line, and 
West on the line of Middlefield. This estimate 
is for Long Hill proper, or before the Durant 
District was formed. More territory was taken 
in the formation of this district from the East 
District than from the West. Previous to this the 
two districts were nearly equally divided. Now 
the West District has about 2,070 acres, whereas 
the East District has not far from 1,590 acres. 
This estimate is predicated on the late county 
map. An actual survey might vary it some, but it 
is deemed near enough for all practical purposes. 
Highways and ponds are included in this esti- 
mate. Long Hill took its name from the succes- 
sion of hills that begin to rise near the center 
and extend south to the Durham line. This is 
Dr. Field's opinion. Some have supposed that 
it took its name from the hio^h hill near the center 
of the place. 



127 

THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY OF THESE DISTRICTS. 

Most of Long Hill is well adapted to farming 
purposes. The early settlers had a great deal of 
heavy work in clearing off the stones, as the old 
moss-covered walls will show. Nearly enough 
stones were found to fence the land, on its sur- 
face. The stones were generally sandstone, and 
in some places there were large boulders. These 
^\'ere cut and used for cellar walls ; they were 
generally too coarse for hewing. The "Wall 
Rocks,'' lying in the south part of the East 
District are a conglomeration of sand and pebbles 
of white, and blue, and red, and most of these 
rocks are too coarse and flinty for building pur- 
jioses. In the south part of Long Hill, in both 
disti'icts, are beautiful groves of chestnut and 
other timber, much of which is the second 
growth. Some of this timber land is rocky and 
unfit for cultivation, but well ada^^ted to the 
growth of forests. The hills in the south part 
and near the Durham line, are the hic^hest hills 
in Middletown. The sio^ht from Eound Hill is 
grand ; from this hill in clear weather, can be 
seen Mounts Tom and Holyoke in Mass., with 
the naked eye. The scenery from '' Long Hill '' 
near the center of this place, is delightful. This 
hill, rising out of a valley and lying equidistant 
from Besek or Meiiden Mt. on the West, and 
Cobalt Mt. and White Rocks on the East, and 
the surrounding towns and the winding Connecti- 



128 

cut River, all lend encliantment to this lovely 
place. 

THE SETTLEMENT OF LONG HILL WAS NEAR 1675. 

The first settlers in Long Hill were the Halls. 
They spread out from the First Society. Soon 
other settlers followed. The Hubbards, the 
Clarks, the Crowells, and families by the name 
of Atkins, Barnes, Ward, and Blake. Most of 
these families settled on parcels of land regularly 
laid out. These several pieces of land were laid 
out, north and south from sixty to eighty rods 
wide, and extended to the Durham line. The 
westernmost tract w^as taken by the Barnes fami- 
lies, and was eight rods wide, extending to the 
Durham line. The west tract ^\^as taken by the 
Crowells and others. The next by the Hubbards 
and the Atkins. This bordered on the old Dur- 
ham road ; then east of this was the Clark tract 
of land, he being the sole owner. This piece 
was eighty rods wide, and extended south to the 
Durham line. The next tract of land, east, was 
settled by AVards and Blakes ; and still f ui'ther 
east there were Wards and Crowells. All the 
several tracts of land were bounded north by 
the east and west highway, on which stood the 
stone school- houses. A more particular history 
of these first families will be ofiven under their 
proper heads. 



129 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIRST SETTLERS. 

Tlie first settlers were athletic, substantial men 
and women. The Hubbards were noted for being; 
spry and active. Jumping and wrestling were 
much practiced in the early history of this place. 
Ball playing in the spring, especially at election 
days, and the j^itching of quoits was much attended 
to, at odd spells. The Crowells were stout, tall, 
robust men, could lift and carry heavy burdens ; 
men well calculated to clear up and subdue this 
hard and stony soil. The Halls were stout, 
strong, intellectual people. There are amongst 
the old deeds and papers in the family of a de- 
scendant of Calvin Hall (Deacon Stephen's), some 
that date back to 1698. A deed of land from 
John Hall, ensign, and wife to their son John 
Hall. Also a military commission, among these 
old papers, conferring on John Hall a Captain's 
commission, in the reign of King William, styled 
" King of England, Scotland, France, and Ire- 
land," signed by John Winthrop, Governor of 
the colonies of Connecticut. This commission 
dates back to 1699. There were other papers of 
ancient date, some in the reign of Queen Anne. 

JOHN HALL. 

John Hall, Jun., from the best accounts, was 
the first settler in Lons^ Hill. His house stood a 
little north of the brook and the stone quarries, 
on the road west of the Pameachy Pond, and 
was built not far from the year 1698. (The old 

12* 



130 

bouse was taken down by Calvin Hall, grandson 
of Daniel Hall, in the year 1822, and a new one 
built in its place.) When the Indians became 
less troublesome, and less formidable, the whites 
spread out into the country around the first settle- 
ment. Long Hill, most of it, was a dense forest 
with, here and there, a small patch cleared off by 
the Indians, where they raised their corn. 
Wolves and bears roamed at leisure through these 
forests, and over these fields that are now smil- 
ing in beauty, under the hand of civilization. 

JACOB HALL. 

Jacob Hall, a son of John Hall, built a house, 
south from Trench Hill, in a commanding place 
on the west bank of the Pameachy, wherein he 
lived and died. He w^as brother of Calvin Hall. 
His children were : 

Leonard, Jacob, 2d, 

Henry, Daughters — 

Jacob died at the South. Henry Hall occupied 
the old homestead, and in 1879, at the time of 
this record, was eighty-four years old. He beau- 
tified the old place : painted the old house white, 
which was previously red, and the house was as 
a "house standing on a hill which cannot be hid.'" 

JOHN HALL 2d. 

John Hall 2d, an early settler in Long Hill. 
His house stood on the old Durham road, about 
one mile south of the city of Middletown. He 



131 

married Esther Hubbard (daughter of Nathaniel 
Hubbard and Sarah Johnson). John Hall's 
house was built about the year 1V53. The house 
was taken down in the year 18 — , and a brick 
house built in place of the old one by W. 
Steuben, who married Sarah Crowell, a grand- 
dauo^hter of John Hall. The children of John 
and Esther Hubbard Hall were, sons : 

David, John, and Jonathan. 
Daughters : 

Elizabeth, who married a Miller. 

Esther, unmarried. 

Phebe, who married a Ward. 

Ruth, who married a Starr, and 

Sarah, who married S. Crowell. 

AMBROSE CLARK. 

Ambrose Clark was one of the earliest settlers 
of Long Hill. He was called " Lord Am.,'' on 
account of his being so great a landholder. His 
tract of land, east of the Hubbard tract, was 
eighty rods wide, extendins^ south to the Durham 
line. He built his house on the hill north, and 
near the center of his land on the East and 
West Road. His house was erected not far from 
the year 1720. It was built somewhat in the 
manner and form of the " Captain Wait Corn well 
house " (the oldest house in Long Hill), except, 
there was no " lintel " roof. The house was 
forty-two feet long and twenty -two feet wide, 
and two stories high, with a stone chimney near 



132 

the center of tlie bouse teu feet square or more. 
The posts were eighteen inches square above the 
first story. The beams through the center were 
twelve by sixteen inches square, and all of oak. 
The clapboards were of rived oak. There was 
no plaster on any of the rooms. The joists over- 
head were planed and beaded, and the walls 
below were sealed with pitch pine. The house 
was occupied as a dwelling-house some eighty or 
ninety years. The last occupant was William 
Miller, w^ho married a daughter of Clark. He 
sold out the homestead to Ithamar Atkins and 
moved to Middlefield. Atkins turned this for- 
midable and antique building into a barn, by 
taking out the chimney which made plenty of 
room, and sufficiently high to admit a load of 
hay. The parlor was turned into stables for 
calves, sheep, and colts. The place, where was 
once mirth and beauty, dancing, and feasting, 
became the quiet abode of a lower order of 
animals. What a change ! In the orchard 
adjoining the house was once a marriage feast. 
Betsey Higgins was the bride, and the groom was 
James Beers. It seems that the bride's parents 
were opposed to the match ; as a consequence she 
was married out in the orchard. There ^vas a £fen- 
eral invitation given out and many availed them- 
selves of the unusual circumstance. The marriage 
ceremony was performed by Parson Enoch Hunt- 
ington, then a young man in the ministry. The 
bride selected the following hymn, which was 



133 

sung to the displeasure of some, and the delight 
of many. It can be found in Dwight's collection 
of Psalms and Hymns, published in 1 808 : 

Thou God of love, Thou ever blest, 

Pity my suffering state. 
When wilt thou set my soul at rest 

From lips that love deceit? 

Hard lot of mine, my days are cast 

Among the sons of strife. 
Whose never ceasing brawlings waste 

My golden hours of life. 

O, might I fly to change my place, 

How would I choose to dwell 
In some wide, lonesome wilderness. 

And leave these gates of hell ! 

Peace is the blessing that I seek, 

How lovely are its charms. 
I am for peace, but when I speak 

They all declare for arras. 

New passions fill their souls, engage 

And keep their malice strong. 
What shall be done to curb thy rage/ 

O, thou devouring tongue! 

The cake ^vas carried around in a corn basket ! 
no plates were used. There are none now living 
that attended this strange wedding, and very 
few^ living who heard those speak of the event 
who were eye-witnesses of the novel scene. 
Ninety years and more in sublunary things ! 
The house, the barn are gone ; the apples trees 
are gone, w^here youth and beauty met and shook 
hands. All are iron e I 



134 
NATHANIEL HUBBARD. 

Natliauiel Hubbard, one of the early settlers 
in Long Hill (about the year 1715), was the son 
of Nathaniel the first, of Middletown, and Mary 
Earl (born Dec. 10, 1652). He was the young- 
est son of George Hubbard, who was born at 
Wakefield, England, in 1594, and who came to 
Hartford, Conn., in 1636, and in 1640 married 
Elizabeth Watts, daughter of Richard Watts. 
He left Hartford in 1650, and settled in Middle- 
town, where he died March 18, 1685. Nathaniel 
Hubbard's house stood on the cross road, east 
and west, a little north of the brick house built 
by his son Noadiah in the year 1787. The house 
stood on the east side of the road (as it now is), 
nearl}^ where the barn now stands ; the old barn 
stood on the opposite side of the road, and here 
it may be well to notice that the old Durham 
road was laid out due north and south, and met 
the cross road near the old stone school-house ; 
then the traveling public had to turn a sharp 
angle down the hill to the road leading to the 
new city of Middletown. So, in reality, all the 
first houses in this vicinity were built on the 
original highways. This road was laid out more 
than 100 years ago. It commenced south of the 
brick house built by Ithamar Atkins, crossed the 
Atkins farm, and through the Hubbard home lot, 
between the house and barn, to the highway. 
This road shortened the distance, a steep hill was 
avoided, and travelers much benefited. The 



135 

children of Nathaniel Hubbard and Sarah John- 
son were : 

Nathaniel, Samuel. 

Nehemiah, Noadiah. 

Nehemiah was born July 22, 1721. The 
daughters were Esther, who married John 
Hall, 2d daughter married a Lawson, 3d married 
a Warner. But two of the children of Nathaniel 
settled in Long Hill permanently, namely, 
Nehemiah and Noadiah. 

NEHEMIAH HUBBARD. 

Nehemiah, the second son of Nathaniel and 
grandson of Nathaniel the first, of Middletown, 
Conn, (who was born Dec. 10, 1652, and who was 
the youngest son of George Hubbard, who was 
born at Wakefield, England, in 1594, and who 
came to Hartford, Conn., in 1636, and in 1640 
married Elizabeth Watts, daughter of Kichard 
Watts. He .left Hartford in 1650, and settled in 
Middletown, Conn., where he died March 18, 
1685). 

Nehemiah Hubbard married Sarah Sill, 
daughter of Joseph Sill and Phebe Lord, of 
Lyme, Conn. Their children were : 

Isaac, b. Sept. 24, 1749, m. E,. Coleman. 

Nehemiah, b. A^ml 10, 1752, m. 1, C. Willis, 
2, L. Starr, 3, — Latimer. 

Elisha, b. Oct. 1, 1753, m. M. Roberts. 

Lucy, b. April 22, 1755, m. Rev. R. Hubbard. 

David, b. Feb. 24, 1757, d. unmarried. 



136 

Jacob, b. Jan. 28, 1759, m. 1, S. Hobby, 2, 
S. Hall. 

Sarah, b. Jan. 16, , m. Daniel Crowell. 

Phebe, b. Jan. 3, , m. Elijah Roberts. 

Anna, b. Oct. 18, 1762, m. Ithamar Atkins. 

Mary, b. Aug. 18, 1764, d. in childhood. 

Mary 2d, b. Aug. 20, 1765, m. G. Lyman. 

Nathaniel, b. July 17, 1766, lost at sea. 

Matthew, b. Nov. 20, 1770, d. in childhood. 

Nehemiah Hubbard bought a piece of land on 
the corner of Middlefield and Laurel Grove 
streets, in the year 1 744, and soon after erected 
a house on the corner of the lot. (The house is 
now standing and in good repair, after a lapse of 
more than 135 years.) He was a very cheerful 
man, and cheerfulness is conducive to old age. 
He was 93 years old when he died. When he 
was 84 years old he went doAvn in his well on 
the stones and got a pail of milk which had 
fallen into the well. When at an advanced 
age in life he used to go to church on horseback, 
carrying his wife behind him on a j^iHion. He 
took great interest in schools, as well as in church 
matters. He visited some of the schools when 
he was over 80 years old, and spoke encouraging 
words to the children. The writer of this 
memoir remembers a visit the good old man 
made at the ^'Old Stone School-house'' in 1805 
or 1806. In his remarks he adverted to the 
Revolutionary war, and told the children the 
cost of freedom. He had at one time six sons in 



137 

tlie war. One tiling in regard to Sarali, the 
wife of Neheniiali Hubbard, may seem strange 
and inexplicable to many, bnt it must be true, or 
at least an uncommon work of the imao:ination. 
She was sitting alone in a pew in the old 
Congregational church on High street, Middle- 
town, near where the coUeo-e buildino-s of the 
Wesleyan University now stand. She had taken 
her seat early in the afternoon ; there were few, 
if any, in the church beside herself. While 
sitting there in meditation, she turned her head 
toward the door and saw her son Nathaniel, in 
sailors' costume, coming up the aisle toward her. 
As he approached her, she reached out her arms 
to embrace him, when he vanished from her sight. 
At that time her son, being on a sea voyage, was 
blo^vn off from the topmast while furling the sail 
in a fierce gale of wind, and drowned near the 
coast of Ireland. He appeared to his mother at 
the exact time of his death, as she learned when 
the vessel came back into port. Now, this 
woman was the grandmother of the writer of 
this history, and was not a believer in witchcraft, 
or in any supernatural things, although such 
beliefs were prevalent at this time in many 
towns in New England. 

ELISHA HUBBARD. 

Elisha, the third son of Nehemiah first, maiTied 
Martha Roberts. He settled at the old homestead 
of his father. Their children ^vere : 

13 



138 

Elislia the 2d, b. 1792. 

Martha, b. June 20, 1794. 

Eebecca, b. Dec. 1, 1795. 

Ann, b. April 23, 1797. 

Sarah, b. June , 1799. 

Phebe, b. Feb. 10, 1801. 

An infant child died l)etween the births of 
Phebe and Daniel. 

Daniel, b. Oct. 21, 1803. 

David, b. Sept. 28, 1805. 

Mary, the youngest, b. Feb. 23, 1808. 

In his youthful days, Elisha Hubbard was 
very spry. Six hogsheads, with one head out of 
each, were placed in a row", and he could jump 
from the o-round into the first one, and then out 
and in through the whole six without faltering. 
He was early in the Revolutionary w^ar ; was 
taken prisoner at Fort Washington, and confined 
in the Sugar House, New York city. After some 
time he was exchanged, came home and got 
recruited, and then enlisted for the remainder of 
the w^ar. 

While a prisoner in the Sugar House, a com- 
rade of Elisha's, not quite dead, was being 
dragged down the stairs and out of the j^rison- 
by a British officer ; Elisha, indignant and daring, 
rushed after to rescue his dying comrade, and 
narrowly escaped being run through by the 
bayonet. The Hubbards were intrepid, cool, not 
counting danger until it w^as past. In private 
life they were always to be relied upon for doing 



139 

thing'ii tliat required steady nerves and physical 
courao'e. 

In 1878, September 11 th, there was a family 
gathering at the old homestead built by Nehe- 
miah Hubbard, and the six sisters, grandchildren 
of Nehemiah and daughters of Elisha were all 
there under the paternal roof Avhere they were 
born. 

NEHEMIAH HUBBARD 2d. 

Nehemiah, second son of Nehemiah the first, 
was born April 10, 1752. The following sketch 
of his life is copied from an obituary notice in 
the " Sentinel and Witness " of Middletown, 
Conn., February 15, 1837 : ''At the age of 14 he 
went to live with Col. Matthew Talcott as clerk 
in his store, where he continued until he was 21 
years of age. Early in 1776 he entered the 
army, and in May of that year he was appointed 
by Gov. Trumbull paymaster of the regiment 
commanded by Col. Bui'rall, and which was sent 
on service to the shore of Lake Champlain. He 
first went and paid the troops at Forts Stanwix, 
Schuyler, and Hei'kimer, on the Mohawk, and 
then joined his regiment at Fort Ticonderoga, 
where he remained some time. In May, 1777, 
he was appointed by Major-General Greene — Avho- 
was at that time Quartermaster-General of the 
United States — his deputy for the State of Con- 
necticut, which post he filled until the resignation 
of Gen. Greene. He was again appointed by Col. 
Pickerino;, then acting as Quartermaster-General, 



140 

but he declined. He continued, however, to dis- 
charge the duties of De2:)uty Quartermaster-Gen- 
eral until relieved by another person, when he 
entered into the service with Wads worth & Carter, 
who supplied the French army. This he accom- 
panied to Yorktown, and was present at the surren- 
der of Lord CornAvallis. As a provider of public 
supplies, all his movements were marked by 
decision, promptness, and punctuality. The 
resources of Connecticut were brought forward 
at the most critical juncture, and while the army 
was enduring the greatest privations it was fre- 
quently relieved by this State through his energy 
and extraordinary exertions. As a specimen of 
the confidence reposed in him by such men as 
Washington, Greene, Trumbull, and Hamilton, it 
ought to be mentioned that after the organization 
of the present Government, Col. Hamilton, while 
Secretary of the Treasury, was pressingly urgent 
to have him take the management of an institu- 
tion which he wished to establish for promoting 
the manufactures of the country. After the close 
of the Revolution he settled in Middletown, 
Conn., as a merchant, Avhere he continued the 
remainder of his life. He was President of the 
Middletown Bank from 1808 to 1822, when he 
resigned, being 70 years of age. He was also 
first President of the Savings Bank, and held 
that place until his death. Many instances have 
come to the knowledo;e of the writer in which 
he showed the most enlarged liberality in fur- 



141 

nisliiDg young men and other persons with money 
to enable them to begin and advance in business. 
In person Mr. Hubbard was rather above the 
ordinary stature, his appearance commanding, 
and he retained an erect form until the last, with 
an uncommon exemption from most of the 
infirmities of age. As a man of business he was 
uncommonly methodical, and was altogether one 
of the first merchants of his day. In his private 
walk and character were beheld all the stern 
virtues that adorned the lives of some of the best 
of the New England Pilgrim Fathers. He died 
February 6, 1837, aged 85 years. Many of his 
ancestors and relatives were distinguished for 
longevity. 

ROBERT HUBBARD. 

Robert Hubbard, one of the early settlers of 
East Long Hill, settled about the year 1730. He 
married Elizabeth Sill, the second daughtei- of 
Joseph Sill and Phebe Lord, of Lyme, Conn., Oct. 
9, 1735. He was the son of Robert Hubbard 
and Abigail Atkins, and born at Middletown, 
1673, and grandson of George Hubbard, who 
was born in Wakefield, England, 1594, and who 
came to Hartford, Conn., in 1636, and married 
Elizabeth Watts in 1640. (He died March 18, 
1685, at Middletown.) Robert Hubbard died at 
his residence in Long Hill Jan. 20, 1779, aged 66. 
His widow survived him many years, and died 
aged 92. 

13* 



142 

Their children, born in Midclletown, Long 
Hill, were : 

Phebe, b. July, 1736, d. in infancy. 
Elihii, b. Aug., 1737, d. 1770. 
Abigail, b. Jan. 5, 1739, m. Dr. Smith. 
Phebe 2d, b. Oct. 10, 1740, m. 1). Wells. 
Robert, b. March, 1742, d. in infancy. 
Robert 2d, b. Sept., ] 743, m. Lucy Hubbard 

(cousin). 
Elijah, b. 1745, m. ], H. Kent, 2, Abigail 

Dickinson. 
Micah, b. 1747, d. in infancy. 
Micah 2d, b. Sept. 8, 1748, m. Content Guernsey, 

of Durham. 
Elizabeth, b. 1750, m. J. Morris. 
Samuel, b. 1752. 

MICAH HUBBARD. 

Micah Hubbard, the sixth son of Robert Hub- 
bard and Elisabeth Sill, was a great grandson of 
Elisabeth Hyde, of the third generation. He 
married Content Guernsey, of Durham, June 10, 
1784. She was the eldest dauo'hter of Lemuel 
Guernsey and Ruth Camp. He, Micah, settled 
at the old homestead of his father, Robert, in 
Long Hill. He died Dec. 1, 1731, aged 83 years. 
His widow survived him 17 years, and died at 
the advanced age of 92. Their children were 
Elihu, Ebenezer G., Ruth, Phebe, and Betsey. 
Phebe married Thomas Hubbard, of Utica, N. Y. 
They had several children ; the rest died without 



143 

issue. Micali Hubbard was a conscientious and 
upright man, and his views of religion were 
strictly Puritanical. He began the Christian 
Sabbath, or Lord's Day, at sunset Saturday 
night. At that time all labor ceased on his farm. 
A carpenter was making a hay cart for him, and 
he had almost got it done at sunset, Saturday — 
might have finished it before dark. He was 
ordered to stop work. The carpenter, whose 
name was Jacob, said he could finish the job and 
save comino; Mondav mornino\ Uncle Micah 
said : " Jacob, I am able to pay you for coming 
Monday morning, so put up your tools." 

NOADIAH HUBBARD. 

Noadiah Hubbard, the third son of Nathaniel 
Hubbard and Sarah Johnson (Nathaniel Hub- 
bard, born Sept. 14, 1690, was son of Nathaniel 
the first, of Middletown, and Mary Earl, born Dec. 
10, 1652,) who was the youngest son of George 
Hubbard, ^vho was born in Wakefield, England, 
in 1594, and who came to Hartford in 1636, and 
in 1640 married Elisabeth Watts, daughter of 
Richard Watts. He first settled in Hartford. 
He left there in 1650, and came to Middletown, 
where he died March 18, 1865). Noadiah Hub- 
bard settled at the old homestead. He married 
the widow of Levi Crowell, she having two 
children by her first husband — Levi and Eda. 

Their children were : 

Noadiah, who married a Ward and moved to 



144 

Steuben, N. Y., tlien called the ''Black Elver 
Country." 

Joel, — 

Faircliilcl, — 

Bela, — 

Stephen, — 

Samuel, who married a Crowell and lived on 
the homestead. 

Phebe, — 

JOHN HUBBARD. 

John Hubbard, born in the year 1692, was an 
early settler in Long Hill. An old record in the 
Hubbard family makes him a descendant of 
George Hubbard, born in Yorkshire, England, 
in 1616, and fifth son of Nathaniel, born in 1652 
(died 1738). John Hubbard, born 1692, was an 
early settler in Long Hill, yet we find no record 
of the exact time of his settlement. His house 
was probably built about the year 1733. There 
was no date in the old house, lately pulled down. 
The house stood at the foot of the hill on the old 
Durham road, a little south of the causeway. On 
the site of the old house a son of the late Jere- 
miah has erected an elegant residence (1872). 
There is an old Bible at the house with this 
inscription : " Stephen Hubbard, his Bible. 
Bought in New York by Elnathan Camp of 
Durham, for 22 shillings, their money, equal to 
16 shillings and sixpence, lawful money, and one 
shilling lawful money for freight and commission, 
in all 1£ 7^. 6f/., lawful money, Dec, A. D. 1771.^' 



145 

The children of John Hubbard were Stephen, 
John, Jeremiah, Jabez, and two daughters, Mary 
and Elisabeth. Mary married Major Starr, and 
Elisabeth married and moved away. 

JOHN CROWELL. 

John Crowell the first was an early settler in 
Long Hill, Highlands. His house stood on the 
west side of the highway that divides the East 
and West School Districts. It stood nearly 
opposite the Elisha Fairchild house. This first 
Crowell house was built about the year 1738, and 
was taken down in 1888, and a new one built in 
its stead by a grandson, Comfort Crowell. John 
Crowell married a Bidwell, of Chatham. Little 
is known of the Crowells previous to their settle- 
ment in Middleto^vn. They were of Dutch or 
German origin. The children of John the first 
were John the second, Daniel, Lewis, Abigail, 
and Mary. Lewis married a sister of Joel Fair- 
child. Abigail married Elisha Fairchild, who 
died of small-pox. The children of Abigail and 
Elisha Fairchild were Abigail, ^vho married 
Abner Norton, of Durham ; Olive, w^ho married 
Daniel Southmayd, of Durham ; Phebe, who 
married Thomas Burnham and moved to Hart- 
land ; and Elisha, who married Lucretia Try on, 
of South Farms. 

DANIEL CROWELL. 

Daniel Crowell remained on the old place. He 
married Sarah Hubbard, born in Lons: Hill, Jan. 



146 

16, 1751. She was the oldest daughter of Nehe- 
miah Hubbard and Sarah Sill, and granddaughter 
of Joseph Sill and Phebe Lord, of Lyme, Conn. 
Their children were : 

Daniel 2d, b. April 4, 1772, moved to Hart- 
ford, Conn., 1797, d. July 17, 1867, something 
over 95 years old. His first wife was Sarah A. 
Olcott, who died January 8, 1812. His second 
wife was Lucy T. Dwight. She w^as born Aug. 
29, 1794; died Oct. 25, 1875. 

Matthew, d. in youth. 

Seth, m. Sarah Birdsey. 

David, m. Lucy Ward. 

Comfort, m. P. M. Arnold. 

Elisabeth (Betsey), m. S. Birdsey. 

Sarah, m. E. Tryon. 

All but Daniel, the oldest, lived and died in 
the town in which they were born. Comfort 
Crowell occupied the old homestead. He took 
down the old house in 1887, and built a new one 
on the site. He married P. M. Arnold about the 
time he built the new house. Their children 
were James and Ellen. 

JOHN CROWELL 2d. 

John Crowell, son of John the first, married in 
17 — Sarah Fairchild. His second wife was 
AVidow Starr, and the third one Lucy Miller, 
widow of William Miller. He settled a quarter 
of a mile, or more, east of the stone school-house 



147 

in the East District, Long Hill. His cliilclren 
were twelve in number : 

Elijah, ni. — Miller. Huldah, m. S. Hubbard. 
Samuel, m. S. Hall. Ruth, ni. — Pomeroy. 

John, m. . Hannah, m. — Hall. 

Ehoda, m. — Brooks. , Mary. 
Sarah, m. — Clark. Lewis. 

Mary, m. Jabez Barnes. 

John Crowell, in his youth, was in theFrencli 
war. He went to Canada, and was under Gen. 
AVolfe at the taking of Quebec ; and when he 
was 90 years old " he could shoulder his gun and 
show how fields were won." In 1825 his son 
Elijah and his g]'andson Samuel put on an ox sled 
a little over four cords of walnut wood, and he, 
at the ao^e of 90 years, drove the load into the 
city of Middletown. Matthew T. Russell bought 
the load of wood, which came to a little over 
$28. 

SAMUEL CROWELL. 

Samuel Crowell lived on the homestead of his 
father. He married Sarah Hall. Their children 
were all born at the homestead : 

Levi, b. 1785, m. — Brooks. 

Esther, b. 1787, m. — Brooks. 

Samuel, b. 1789, m. Louisa Crowell. 

Adah, b. 1792, m. Timothy Gilbert. 

Hannah, b. 1795, unmarried. 

Ruth, b. 1797, m. Daniel M. Crowell (cousin). 

Sarah, b. 1801, m. W. Steuben. 



148 

Jolin, died in cliildbood. 

Jolin 2d, died in liis 21st year, unmarried. 

Samuel Crowell left the old place in 1822, and 
moved to the "Hall house,'' wherein his wife 
was born. Elijah Crowell, his brother, came 
from Steuben, K Y., or that vicinity, in 1822, 
and took up his abode on the old homestead. 
He took care of his aged father till his death. 
He built a house on the opposite side of the 
road, wherein he lived, and wherein he died in a 
good old age. His children were Sarah, Daniel, 
Louisa, and Heman. Heman died at the South. 

SAUL CROWELL. 

Saul Crowell, an early settler, lived in the 
Highlands of Long Hill, on the southernmost 
east and west road. Little is known of his 
family. He had a brother Edward. The house 
lot still holds his name, and some of his old 
apple trees are still standing. It is a lovely, 
sheltered spot in spring time, and the blue birds 
and the robins are early visitors to this calm, 
sunny place. 

EDWARD CROWELL. 

Edward Crowell, brother of Saul, or Solomon, 
lived near by on the same road. More is known 
of him. " He had been a soldier in his youth, 
and fought in famous battles." He was in the 
'' French and Indian wars," and was at the storm- 
ing of Quebec under Gen. Wolfe. He was a 



149 

man of great strength and power. He married 
twice. He liad four children by his first wife — 
Joseph, Lucy, Fanny, and Mary. Joseph married 
and spent most of his days in Durham. Lucy 
married and lived in the city of Middletown till 
the latter part of her life, which she spent with 
her daughter at Haydenville, Mass. Mary mar- 
ried Camp Coe, of Middlefield, and died young. 
Fanny married a Leonard, and moved away. 
His children by his second wife were Jehiel, 
Edward, Adonijah, Henry, Clara, Rachel, Sarah, 
Chauncey. All married and scattered about. 
Once upon a time a couple of tramps came along 
through Long Hill, and left a young babe in the 
school-house, which stood a few rods north of 
the Nathaniel Hubbard house, on the old Dur- 
ham road. Edward Crowell took the babe home 
and took care of it for some time. Subsequently 
John Crowell took the boy and brought him up. 
He proved a fine young man, and he married a 
daughter of the said Crowell. They moved into 
New York State, and raised a tine family of 
children. 

JOHN CROWELL, Jr. 

John Crowell, jr., married R. Starr. They had 
three children. He died at the old homestead of 
his father. He, the said John, was a blacksmith 
by trade, and had a shop at the place now called 
Zoar. It stood near the quarry. (This quarry 
was operated on by Erastus and Silas Brainerd 
about the year 1820. They did not make it a 

14 



150 

profitable business. From liere they went to the 
"Portland Quarries" and became wealthy.) 

THE BARNES FAMILIES. 

Little is known of the early history of those 
families that settled on the Bai-nes tract of land, 
on the west side of Long Hill. All but one 
family were descendants of Shamgar and Maybe 
Barnes. The writer knew some of these families, 
and gleaned some historic facts from Mary 
Barnes, in his boyhood days ; and later from 
Dennis Lee, a grandchild of Amos Barnes, and 
from the widow of Captain Lathrop Lee, who 
was the daughter of Amos Barnes, and also from 
Jemima Barnes, the widow^ of Giles Barnes. 

GILES BARNES 

Settled upon the hill at the head of the 
Barnes tract on the west side of " Ezekiel's 
Brook " as it was then called, — now called 
" Laurel Brook," and on the road at the head of 
" Laurel Grove." He had a small farm and was 
a blacksmith, and got a good living. He was 
married and had several children by a first wdfe. 
The children married and moved into New York 
State. His second wife was Jemima Atkins, the 
third dauo-hter of Thomas Atkins. Giles Barnes 
died of a tumor on the low^er part of his face ; 
his wido^v survived him several years, and died 
at the age of nearly ninety. The house is still 
standing, and is one of the oldest houses in the 
town. Just below was the house of 



151 
EZEKIEL BARNES. 

He liacl a ori'i^t-mill near liis house; this mill 
ceased grinding about the year 1804. This 
family had one son, whose name was Allen. He 
used to tell fortunes when a young man. The 
old people sold out what little they had, and 
moved with their son to New York State. Here 
Allen Barnes was converted and became a Metho- 
dist preacher. After this he was once on a visit 
to Middletowm and preached one or two sermons 
in the old M. E. Church. Ezekiel had a small 
orchard on the side hill near his house. He had 
some early apples on a certain year and made a 
barrel of cider. Some boys knowing the fact — 
and boys at that time were as roguisli as they 
are at the present day — went to the house, and 
found the cellar door open and could find nothing 
to draw the cider in. There was some stir over- 
head, and for fear the old man would get through 
the door, one of the boys held the door, while 
the other boys drew the cider in their Itats, and 
when they had got a^vay with the cider, the boy 
that held the door left and overtook them down 
in the '' Laurel Grove," below whei'e tliey drank 
the cider from their hats, with great satisfaction. 
This took place more than 100 years ago. 

THOMAS BARNES. 

Thomas Barnes lived farther south, on the 
North and South road. He had several chil- 
dren, boys and girls. He died in 1788. There 



152 

now remains notliing to mark the place where 
the house stood save some oyster-shells, and some 
yellow lilies which have not been exterminated. 

THOMAS BARNES, Jun. 

Thomas Barnes, jun., and his sister Mary lived 
a little north of their father on the other side of 
road, in a house that was old and dilapidated, 
when the writer was a boy. Here Thomas raised 
a family of children : five sons and two daugh- 
ters. The sons were : 

Nathaniel, Elijah, 

Thomas, Josiah. 

Jonathan, 
The daughters were, Sibil, and Mary. Sibil 
married a man by the name of Strong, and moved 
to the State of Ohio. Jonathan married a Geer 
of Staddle Hill ; he lived and died in Middletown. 
Thomas died at the South, Nathaniel died in 
the city of Middletown ; he was a cabinet-maker. 
Elijah died at Ashtabula, Ohio. Josiah, so far 
as the writer knows, may still be living in Ash- 
tabula, Ohio. He was the youngest. 

JOSEPH BARNES. 

Joseph Barnes' house stood on the corner of 
the road leading to Middlefield center, on the 
south side of the road. Little is known of his 
family. He died in the Sugar House Prison, 
New York City. In the Revolution he was 
taken a prisoner at Fort Washington. He died 



153 

from starvation and Britisli inhumanity. (He 
was the comrade of Elisha Hubbard.) His 
house was left desolate 100 years ago. 

AMOS BARNES. 

Amos Barnes lived not far from the corner on 
the south side of the road leadins: into the south 
part of Middleiield. He was a quiet, unobtrusive 
man. One of his daus^hters married Calvin Hall, 
and one married Captain Lathrop Lee (they had 
eleven cliildren). He died a little past middle 
age, and his widow lived to old age. 

NEHEMIAH BARNES. 

Nehemiah Barnes lived south, at the termina- 
tion of the road near the swamp. He died a 
prisoner in the Revolutionary AYar. Perhaps in 
the British Prison Ship. The Barnes men were 
daring and good soldiers. They reckoned more 
upon getting a shot at a Biitish Red-Coat than a 
hunter would at getting a shot at a flock of ducks 
or wild geese. A son of Nehemiah had his eyes 
accidentally shot out when young. H^ lived 
many years after this sad event. 

JABEZ BARNES. 

Jabez Barnes settled near the old school-house. 
West Long Hill. He was not a near relative of 
the other Barnes families. He married Mai-tha, 
the second daughter of Thomas Atkins, in 1758. 
(She was a granddaughter of Benjamin ( '' Gov." ) 

14* 



154 

Miller, one of the first settlers of Middlefield, 
Conn. Jabez Barnes was a sailor, and died at 
sea, leaving a family of eight children. These 
children were : 

Daniel, who married and moved to Steuben, 

N.Y. 
Ithamai', who married and moved to Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Jabez, who married a Crowell and moved to 

the '' Black River Country.^' 
Elizur, married a Bacon, and lived and died 

in Middletown, Conn. 
Levi, who married and moved to the " Black 

River Country." 
Elisha, married a Plum and lived and died in 

Middletown, 
Abiah, married Moses Lucas, moved to Phelps- 

town in old age. 
Martlia, who married a Lee. She died young, 
leaving three children : Daniel, Eliza, and 
Mary. 
Martha Barnes, the wife of Jabez Barnes, and 
the mother of these eight children, was a wonder- 
ful woman of the ao-e in which she lived. Left 
with this family of children, a one-story house, 
a small barn, and eight or ten acres of land, she 
managed to take care of her children until they 
became old enough to take care of themselves. 
She took in weaving and worked early and late, 
and yet she found time to go to church, and used 
to walk to meeting two miles and a half, on 



155 

Sabbath days wlien she was past middle age. 
She was an eminently religious woman, of great 
courage, and of strong common sense. A pencil 
sketch of her was made by some young relative, 
as she sat reading the Bible at the advanced age 
of 96. (This sketch has been reproduced with 
pen and ink until it is found in many families 
connected with lier in Middletown, Conn.) 

The following anecdote will ilhistrate her true, 
go-ahead character. She wanted to purchase 
some necessary articles for her family. She rode 
on horseback into the city of Middletown, and 
among other things she bought a " sheep's head 
and pluck." She put the meat into a bag and 
laid it over the fence in the yard of Timothy 
Southmayd, a little south of the "Savings 
Bank " of Middletown. A man seeing her drop 
the bag over the fence, went and took it up, and 
marched oif with it in the absence of the owner. 
When Mrs. Barnes came back for her bag she 
found that it was gone. She made incpiiry and 
learned that a man was seen going toward the 
" Farms " ^vith a bag on his back. She put the 
whip to the horse and started on a jump after the 
man. She met " Captain Clay " as she turned 
the " Clay Corner," and asked him if a man had 
passed that way with a bag on his back. "Yes," 
said he, " and he is now just over the Causeway 
Bridge." She replied " he has stolen my bag 
and I mean to I'awhide him." She started on 
his track over the bridge, and came up w^ith him 



166 

about half-way up the hill. Seeing the mark on 
the bag, and knowing it was hers, she saluted 
him, ''You dog, you have stole my pluck!" at 
the same time she drew the whip over his head 
and shoulders. He dropped the bag and ran for 
the fence, but not before he had received a pretty 
good castigation from her muckle hand. Captain 
Clay followed on as fast as he could, to be ready, 
if there was any resistance, to help the woman. 
A short sketch of the life of Martha Barnes was 
written and published in 1834 by Rev. J. Cook- 
son of the Baptist Church. She died in 1834, 
aged ninety-six years. 

THE CORNWELL FAMILIES. 
CAPTAIN WAIT CORNWELL'S 

House stood some way up from the road that 
divided the Barnes and Cornwell tracts of land. 
It faced the West. The road was much traveled 
by the early settlers of Durham and Middlefield, 
and this is shown by the deep ruts cut in the 
rocks where the wheels passed over. Time 
changed the tide of travel, and the old Durham 
road east of this section became the main trav- 
eled road from Hartford and Middletown, through 
Durham to New Haven. Long after the Corn- 
well house was built was the road cut through 
the land east, to unite with the Durham road. 
The Cornwell house is the oldest in Long Hill, 
and is now in good condition. It was built by 
Captain Wait Cornwell about tlie year 1723. 



157 

He was tlie seventli cliilcl of Jacob Cornwell, and 
Mary White of the First Society, Middletown. 
The house, as originally built, was forty feet long 
and twenty wide, two stoi'ies high, ^vith a lintel 
or '^ lean to " roof some twelve or fifteen feet 
wide, and of the same length as the main build- 
ing, and one story high. The posts and timber 
in the house are all of oak, and of great size and 
strength. The corner posts of the second story 
are eighteen inches square, and the beams pro- 
portionately large. The cellar was under only a 
part of the house. This was the style of build- 
ing at that time, and still later, among the early 
settlers. Little is known about the children of 
Wait Cornwell the first. There ^vere sons and 
daughters. His son Timothy inherited the home- 
stead, and most of the farm. He was an old 
man, when well remembered by the writer of 
this history. His wife was a cripple in the latter 
part of her life, and used to roll around the room 
in a chair to do her work. The}' both died 
within a f ew^ years of each other, and were 1 juried 
in the " Farm Hill " burying ground. Their 
children were, from the best accounts : Timothy, 
Wait, and a daughter. It is supposed that the 
daughter married a man by the name of Lee. 
Timothy died young. Wait Cornwell was sent 
to Yale College, where he graduated in 1795 or 
thereabout. He was an ordained Presbyterian 
preacher, and had a charge on Long Island for a 
time. He came home and attended Baptist 



158 

meetings at Mr. Doolittle's at Staddle Hill, and 
became a warm Calvinistic Baptist and was 
immersed in tlie river, tlie nortli side of the 
bridge, a little east of the grist-mill. 

FRANCIS CORNWELL. 

Francis Corn well, ^^an old man-of- wars-man," 
settled early on the Corn well tract of land, about 
one-third of a mile south of Captain Wait Corn- 
well's. He built a one-story house. Here he lived 
rather poor and discontented to old age — he died 
in 1806, or near that time. His wife survived 
him some years, and died in 1816 or 1817. Their 

children were : Nathaniel, Louis, ,and Betty. 

Francis Cornwell went to sea in a merchant 
vessel, and was pressed on board a British man- 
of-war, and was detained six years in the prime 
of life. One cold winter's night the old man 
went across the swamp east of his house, the 
ground being frozen hard, and took from his 
neighbor's fence a long pole. The owner, Jabez 
Hubbard, was just returning home from chopping 
wood, and seeing the pole move off the fence, 
hastened along and took hold of the other end 
of the pole before the old man had got out of 
the bushes. He gave a surge, thinking tlie pole 
was entangled in the bushes, the owner let go, 
and after a few steps took hold of the end of 
the pole again with the same result. The third 
time the old man looked around, and seeing the 
owner at the end of the pole, threw it off from 



169 

Ills shoulder to tlie ground. They parted, each 
to his own house, without exchanging a word. 
The pole lay there till spring, ^n hen it was put 
back on the fence. 

ATKINS. 

The name in New England first appears as 
copied from an old recoi'd : 

'• Joseph Atkins of Roxbury (Mass.), married 
a Dudley in the year 1630. 

"Abraham Atkins, Boston, 1642. 

'•MatthcAv Atkins, Boston (Freeman), 1673. 

" Thomas Atkins (brother of Josiah), Hart- 
ford^ East Biver, married 1688. 

"Thomas Atkins, Boston (Freeman), 1690." 

JOSIAH ATKINS. 

Josiah Atkins (brother of Thos.), married 
Elizabeth, daughter of Thos. Wetmore, Sen., of 
Middletown, Oct. 8, 1673. Children: 

1. Sarah Atkins, born July 16, 1674. 

2. Abigail (married Robert Hubbai'd), born 

Sept. 11, 1676. 

3. Solomon, born July 25, 1678. 

4. Josiah, born March 9, 1680. 

5. Benjamin, born Nov. 19, 1682. 

6. Ephraim, born March 9, 1685. 

7. Elizabeth (married Ward, Haddam), born 

Aug. 11, 1687. 

"The towD gave him four acres of meadow 
land near Robert Johnson's farm, next to John 



160 

Stow, Sen's., land. Josi all Atkins died Sept. 12, 
1690. Will, Marcli 1, 1690, inventory made 
Jan. 1, 1691. Estate, £67 10s." 

EPHRAIM ATKINS. 

^' Epliraim Atkins (son of Josiali Atkins), 
married Elizabetli Wetmore, daughter of Tliomas 
Wetmore, Jnn., June 16, 1709." Children: 

1. Thomas, born Apr. 5, 1710. 

2. Ephraim (died young), July 18, 1712. 

3. Elizabeth (died May 80, 1750), born Dec. 

6, 1714. 

4. Ephraim, born March 22, 1717. 

5. Naomi, born June 6, 1719. 

6. Eleazer, born Oct. 1, 1721. 

7. James, born Apr. 9, 1724. 

8. George, born Dec. 26, 1726. 

Ephraim Atkins, Sen., died Dec. 26, 1760. 
Elizabeth, his wife died May 20, 1752. Ephraim 
bought his land in N. Long Hill of John Brown 
(near College, Wesleyan), in 1708. 

(The Atkins family came from England.) 

THOMAS ATKINS. 

Thomas, the oldest son of Ephraim Atkins, 
was born Aipv. 5, 1710. He was an early settler 
in Long Hill. He married Martha Miller, daugh- 
ter of Benjamin Miller (called '' Gov. Miller " ), 
who lived at Cauginchaug, no^v Middlefield, Ct. 
His marriage took place in June, 1735. He 
built a house on the old Durham road in 1734, 



161 

his land adjoining Nathaniel Hubbard's on the 
north. The house stood a few rods northwest 
of the brick house built by Ithamar Atkins in 
1807, afterward owned and occupied by his son 
Albert Atkins (and at present by his grandson, 
Thomas J. Atkins). The children of Thomas 
and Martha Miller Atkins were : 

Mary, b. Dec. 20, 1736, m. Joshua Miller. 

Martha, b. July 17, 1739, m. Jabez Barnes. 

Jemima, b. Oct. 13, 1741, m. Giles Barnes. 

Sarah, b. Oct. 27, 1745, m. Phineas Bacon. 

Lydia, b. Nov. 23, 1747, m. Edward Ward. 

Rhoda, born Jan. 15, 1749, married J. Ward. 

Lucy, b. Apr. 28, 1752, m, 1. — Johnson; 2. — 
Coe. 

Ithamar, the eighth child, b. Nov. 16, 1757, m. 
Anna Hubbard (she was the twelfth child 
of Nehemiah Hubbard, and granddaughter 
of Nathaniel Hubbard, and was bom Oct. 
18, 1762). 

Thomas Atkins was a quiet, good-natured 
man, honest in his dealings. His wife was 
a stout, courageous woman, a good representa- 
tive of her father (Benjamin Miller). They 
lived "in days that tried men's souls." She 
could not bear the name of "tory." AVhen she 
was in her ninety-third year, a gentleman called 
at her house, and to see if she retained, at this 
advanced age, the same hatred to tories that she 
did durino; the war of the Revolution, it was 
proposed that the man should assume to be a 

15 



162 

tory, and this should be made known to the old 
lady. No sooner was she informed that the man 
in the other room was suspected of being a tory, 
than she armed herself with a broomstick, entered 
the room and ordered the man out of the house. 
Not obeying the demand directly, she attempted 
to strike him over the head, rej)eating, " I will 
not have a tory in my house," he defending him- 
self, and retreating towards the door before this 
formidable weapon. 

'Twas good to learn of her what freedom cost, 

What trials all passed through, what bitter tears were shed 
For those who fought at Lexington, and those who lost 

Their lives on Bunker Hill, where youthful Warren hied. 
When more than ninety years had thinned her snowy hair, 

And time had deeply worn its furrows on her brow. 
She could not then, the sight or name of " tory," bear, 

For "liberty or death" was still her solemn vow. 

ITHAMAR ATKINS. 

Ithamar Atkins, the eighth child of Thomas 
Atkins, settled on the old homestead. He 
married Anna Hubbard, Nov. 27, 1783. She 
was the twelfth child of Nehemiah Hubbard 
and Sarah Sill, and granddaughter of Nathaniel 
Hubbard and Sarah Johnson. The children of 
Ithamar and Anna were : 

Jacob, b. Dec. 26, 1786, m. Mary Miller 

(daughter of Jacob Miller, Middlefield). 
Khoda, b. June 11, 1790, died unmarried. 
Richard, b. Aug. 29, 1792, m. Malinda 

Edwards. 
Maria, b. March 23, 1795, m. Augustus 
PhilijDs and moved to Ithaca, New York. 



168 

Thomas, b. Mcarch]4, 1797, m. Lucy Miller. 

Sarah, b. Apr. 19, 1799, died unmarried. 

Henry, m. Sarah B. Crowell, | twins, b. Jan. 

William H., m. Eliza Powers, I 11, 1801. 

Albert, born Sept. 14, 1804, m Susan E; Hale. 

Ithamar Atkins was a man of sound judgment 
and strong reasoning powers. He used to have 
many conflicts with his neighboi*, Priest Wait 
Cornwell. Cornwell was a I'igid Calvinistic 
Baptist, and once in the recollection of the author 
of this history, the two were hotly engaged in 
discussing the doctrine of election and reproba- 
tion. Atkins asked him what he thought would 
be the fate of children dying in infancy. He 
replied, there might be a certain portion of them 
damned and sent to hell. *' Well," says Atkins, 
"that is damnable doctrine." Cornwall says, "I 
won't hear you talk." " I tell you to hear me," 
was the reply. " I ivonH hear you," said he, '^ it 
is false what you say, and it is false ivhat you are 
going to say " ! 

JESSE ATKINS. 

Jesse Atkins settled on the south part of 
Long Hill on the old Durham road. Little is 
known of him in his early days. It is probable 
that he was a descendant of Dea. Solomon 
Atkins. Some of his children were known to 
the writer. Jesse, Samuel, and William, — theie 
may have been more. Jesse lived on the home- 
stead. Samuel lived on the cross-road a little 



164 

east of the Durham road, and William still 
farther east on the road. Jesse sold out to 
Daniel or Seth Crowell, and moved down on the 
cross-road near the " Field Brook " (a branch of 
the Pameachy), where he died about the year 
1808. His children were, Elisha and Olive. 

WILLIAM ATKINS. 

William Atkins, son of Jesse, married Mitty 
Clover. Their children were : W^illiam, Stephen, 
Luman, and two or three daughters. His wife 
died and he married again, and had one son by 
the second marriage. He sold his place, and 
moved into New York State about 1824. Samuel 
Atkins second, a son of Samuel the first, lived 

on the homestead. He sold out to Hubbard 

and moved to Harwinton, Conn. Seth settled 
north of the homestead a short distance. He sold 
out and moved to the town of Lee, Mass. 

WARDS. 

The Wards were early settlers in Long Hill, 
East District. They settled not far from the old 
stone school-house. One a little east down the 
hill ; the other on the road south, near the ter- 
mination of the '^ Wall Rocks." They were de- 
scendants of John Ward and William Ward. 
John and William were landholders in Middle- 
town in 1670. The Wards came from Rowley, 
Mass., to Middletown. The children of John 
^ard second, were : John, third, who married a 



165 

Newton of Durham ; George, wlio married a 
Smith, and built a house north of the old home- 
stead, on the corner lot ; Sarah, ^vho married D. 
Crowell, and died in middle life of cancer. 
George sold his place and moved into New York 
State. John sold his farm in 1831, and moved 
into N. Y., but came back and bought the Brooks 
place on Farm Hill, where he died in old age. 

JOHN WARD. 

John Ward the first was a large landholder. 
He owned a section of land forty rods wide, 
extending to the Durham line. His house stood 
on the north part of this section. He had anoth- 
er section farther East. The ^'Fenno Roberts" 
house stood on the north part of this section. It 
is understood that Josiah Ward, who lived at the 
" Sand Hill." was not a near connection of John 
AVard's family. The "Sand Hill" family of 
Ward sold out and moved to the " Black River 
Country" about the year 1813. Some of the 
family had gone before. 

JONATHAN GILBERT. 

Jonathan Gilbert settled early in Long Hill. 
His house was built about the year 1738. He 
died in 1805, aged 97 years. His house stood 
between the house of Nehemiah Hubbard, and 
the Laurel Grove, on a knoll on the west side of 
the road. It was pulled down in 1825 or there- 
about. His children were : Jonathan, 2d, Ezekiel, 

15* 



166 

Martha, who married Corn well. One daugh- 
ter married Powers, and one married a 

Nancar. Jonathan settled on the homestead. 
He married a daughter of Daniel Wetmore. His 
children were: Daniel, Horace, Collins, Sarah, 
Prudence, Hannah, Maria, Lucy, and Julia. Jona- 
than sold out his farm, etc., and in 1816 or '17, 
moved west to the State of Ohio, that part called 
"New Connecticut." The Gilbert family were 
naturally courteous and polite, and fond of com- 
pany. The old man was a witty and shrewd 
man. He was rigidly Puritanical. One of his 
daughters married a PoAvers. They were among 
the first Methodists in the city of Middletow^n. 
The old gentleman asked his son-in-law how he 
could afford to entertain so many Methodist 
preachers. His son replied that they did not eat 
or drink much. '^ Then," said the old man, " they 
have got to the right place." 

MOSES LUCAS. 

Moses Lucas was an early settler in Long Hill. 
His house was a one-story dwelling, and stood on 
the east side of the road that divided the Clark 
tract of land from the Wards and Hubbards, 
about one-third of a mile south, from the road 
running east and west by the stone school-houses. 
The house stood not far fi'om the brook. (This 
road divides the two school disti'icts. Those 
persons living on the west side of the road, 
belong to the West District, those living on the 



167' 

east side belong to the East District.) Moses 
Lucas the first, came from the First Society. 
Little is known of his early history, only that 
several Lucas families were among the early 
settlers of Middletown, Ct. Moses Lucas erected 
his house, which was one-story high, about the 
year 17'^5. We know not whom he married for 
his first wife. In our remembrance he had a 
second wife. His children were : Moses 2d, 
Thomas, Elnathan, Noah (who was lost at sea), 
Asenath, and Abigail. Moses 2d, married Abiah 
Barnes (granddaughter of Tbos. Atkins), and 
settled on the homestead. His children were : 
Eber, Ruth, Jabez, Abiah, and Horace. He sold 
out to Elisha Barnes in 1818, and moved with 
his family to Phelpstown, N. Y. 

Moses Lucas the first, displayed great ingenuity 
in telling unicj[ue and curious stories. (Perhaps 
this historian will be pardoned for relating some 
of them.) Some one once made the remark in 
his hearing, that he never knew so sudden a 
change in the weather from heat to cold. He 
replied that he once knew a change in the 
weather so sudden that the frogs in a pond near 
his house had not time to draw down their 
heads, they were all sticking up above the ice, 
and he went along shortly after on the pond and 
kicked off half a bushel of frogs' heads. (?) 
Speaking of quick cattle, he said he once had a 
pair of oxen so quick and powerful, that they 
drew a load of hay from the ^' Boggy Meadows " 



168 

aliead of a thunder shower, and it rained so hard 
that his dog swam all the way home behind his 
cart, his hay not getting wet at all. (?) Wild 
pigeons were quite thick in his day, and he used 
to tell the story of a shot he once made at a 
large flock of pigeons, which started up from a 
field of buckwheat stubble. He said he fired at 
this immense flock without killing one pigeon, 
but on examining the ground, he found that he 
had shot just under them and had cut off more 
than a bushel basket full of legs. (?) He said he 
once had a field of rye, so stout and thick, that 
a black snake ran across the whole field on top 
of the heads. (?) 

THOMAS LUCAS. 

Thomas Lucas married a Gillum of Durham, 
and after his marriage, for many years, he lived 
on the Elijah Hubbard farm on the old Durham 
road, a mile or two south of the city of Middle- 
town. Here he raised a large family. His 
children were : Noah, Elijah, Amos, Thomas, 
George and Julia (twins), and Levi. He had a 
fit of sickness which left him in a deranged state 
of mind. He drew a pension in the latter part 
of his life, for services in the Ke volution. He 
died of small -pox in 18 — . 

JOHN BLAKE. 

John Blake Avas an early settler in Long Hill. 
His house was located on high and broken land 



169 

in the East School District, soutli of the Ward 
place. Little is known of his family except that 
he had a daughter by the name of Nabby, and 
she married a man by the name of Tryon. Nabby 
Blake had a spring of water not far fi'om her 
house, wherein she used to put her cream to cool 
it, previous to churning. Some roguish boys 
came that way, and seeing the pail of cream in 
the spring, took off the cover and put in the pail 
a large frog. It was said that the frog in jump- 
ing around to get out of his creamy prison, 
actually churned the butter, and that Aunt 
Nabby, when she came for her pail of cream, 
found the froo: sittino^ on the cake of butter and 
looking as demure as a country justice. John 
Blake, the father of Nabby, was once tied up 
to an apple-tree and whipped by some of his 
neighbors, because he voted in opposition to their 
wishes at a " Freeman's meeting." He made com- 
plaint to Dr. Dickinson, who was then a " justice 
of the peace." The judge took no notice of it, 
farther than to say that they served him right. 
Mr. Blake thouo;ht it uncommon hard to be tied 
to his own apple-tree and whipped for voting as 
he thought best, and no redress to be obtained. 

FREELOVE BLAKE. 

Freelove Blake was an old settler in the high- 
lands of Long Hill. We have no data of the 
exact time of his settlement. It was not far 
from 1760. He built a small one-story house in 



170 

a wild place on tlie east side of the north and 
south road. The ^' Wall Rocks " was the eastern 
boundary of his home-lot, where was the famous 
"snake hole." Here he lived to old age, and 
seemed to enjoy life. He had quite a family of 
children; one is living at this time (1878), and 
is upwards of 90 years old. Contentment makes 
a home pleasant anywhere, and this man seemed 
content in this lonely place of abode. High 
rocks and woody hills environed his humble 
dwelling, and it is presumed that he never saw 
the morning sun till it was an hour or two high, 
or the gold and crimson sunset, unless he was 
away from home. His children were : Reuben, 
George, Richard, Nancy, and Betsey. Some 
might have died in infancy or childhood. He 
believed that black snakes were gifted with the 
power of charming birds. The writer heard him 
tell the following story, more than seventy years 
ago. He said that he was out in the lot, not far 
from his house, when he saw a bird flying round 
and round in great distress. To use his own 
words — "I sought the cause, and found that a 
large black snake had complete control of the 
bird. I stepped back and procured a pole and 
marched up to a proper distance from the snake, 
as I thought, when 1 struck a most 'pernicious 
blow, but it fell short of the snake. The next 
time I measured my steps, killed the snake at the 
second blow, and released the bird." 



171 

DWELLING-HOUSES. 

The number of houses in the East district has 
not varied much for more than a half century, 
only near the city line, and around the factories. 
There are now (1878) in East Long Hill, thirty- 
seven dwelling-houses. 

WEST LONG HILL. 

The number of houses in the West district 
(1878) is forty-six, exclusive of the "Industrial 
School Buildings." Not much increase in the 
houses in the district for a long time, unless it 
be near the city limit or near the factories. Some 
Irish houses have sprung up in the highlands of 
Long Hill, ^vhile others of the old settlers have 
long since disappeared. 



INDEX. 





Page. 


PacxE. 


Allen, Samuel, 


6, 33 


Birdsey, Abel, 


53 


Atkins, 


159 


Birdsey, Benjamin, 


54 


Atkins, Epbraim, 


160 


Birdsey, David, 


53 


Atkins, Ithamar, 


162 


Birdsey, Gershom, 


53 


Atkins, Jesse, 


163 


Birdsey, John, 


51 


Atkins, Josiah, 


159 


Birdsey, John 2d, 


52 


Atkins, Thomas, 


160 


Birdsey, John 3d, 


53 


Atkins, William, 


164 


Blake, Freelove, 


169 


Augur, Phineas, 


61 


Blake, John, 


168 


Augur, Phineas M. , 


61 


Bone Mill, 


28 


Augur, Prosper, 


60 


Bone and Phosphate Mill, 


28 


Bacon, 


84 


Bone and Saw Mill, 


25 


Bacon, Curtiss, 


85 


Button Factory, 


26 


Bacon, George W., 


86 


Camp, 


48 


Bacon, John L., 


86 


Carriage Shop, 


29 


Bacon, Joseph, 


84 


Chapel, Union S. S., 


14 


Bacon, Nathaniel, 


84 


Chilson, 


48 


Bacon, William, 


86 


Church, Cong., 


11 


Bailey, Capt. Alfred, 


92 


Church, Episcopal, 


14 


Bailey, Capt. Oliver, 


91 


Church, M. E., 


13 


Bailey, Richard M., 


92 


Churches, History of, 


11-14 


Barnes, Amos, 


153 


Clark, Ambrose, 


131 


Barnes, Ezekiel, 


151 


Coe, Capt. Bela, 


74 


Barnes Families, 


150-156 


Coe, Calvin, 


71 


Barnes, Giles, 


150 


Coe, Curtis, 


71 


Barnes, Jabez, 


153 


Coe, Capt. David, 


61 


Barnes, Joseph, 


152 


Coe, Eli, 


73 


Barnes, Nehemiah, 


153 


Coe, Elihu, 


71 


Barnes, Thomas, 


151 


Coe, Joseph, 


69 


Barnes, Thomas, Jr., 


152 


Coe, Capt. Joseph, 


70 


Biographical Sketches, 




Coe, Col. Levi, 


71 


31-94, 


129-170 


. Coe, Mary, 


64 


16 









174 



Page. 



Coles, Augustus, 




88 


Coles, Lucy, 




89 


Coles, Roswell, 




88 


Coles, Warren, 




87 


Coles, William. 




86 


Cornwell Families, 


156 


-159 


Cornwell, Francis, 




158 


Cornwell, Capt. Wait, 




156 


Cotton Factory, 




19 


Country, Face of (Middlefield), 6-8 


Crank Spring, 




9 


Crowell, Daniel, 




145 


Crowell, Edward, 




148 


Crowell, John, 




145 


Crowell, John 2d, 




146 


Crowell, John, Jr., 




149 


Crowell, Samuel, 




147 


Crowell, Saul, 




148 


Darrow Brook, 




10: 


Dead of Middlefield, Record 




of. 


95 


-115 


Dickenson, John, 




93 



Dwelling Houses in Long j 

Hill, 171 

Factories and Mills on Besek I 
River, 35-29 

Factories and Mills on West { 
River, 18-25 1 

Freeman, David, 54 

Fulling Mill, 19 

Gilbert, Jonathan, 165 

Grand Levy of Middlefield, i 



1747, 


122-124 


Grist Mill, 


18, 26, 29 


Guild, Family of. 


50 


Hale, Hezekiah, 


49 


Hall, Comfort, 


92 


Hall, Jacob, 


130 


Hall, John, 


129 


Hall, John 2d, 


130 


Han's Brook, 


10 


Hawley, 


50 


Hoadley, Dr. Jehiel, 


51 



Page. 
Householders in Middletown 

in 1670, 117 

Hubbard, Capt. Charles, 37 

Hubbard, Ebenezer, 49 

Hubbard, Elisha, 137 

Hubbard, John, 144 

Hubbard, Micah, 143 

Hubbard, Nathaniel, 134 

Hubbard, Nehemiah, 135 

Hubbard, Nehemiah 2d, 139 

Hubbard, Noadiah, 143 

Hubbard, Robert, 141 

Hudson, Daniel Coe, 66 

Land Grant of Middlefield, 5 
Little Falls, 8 

Little Falls Brook, 10 

Location of First Settlers 

(Middlefield), 

Long Hill, Characteristics of 

Early Settlers, 139 

Long Hill, Face of Country, 127 
Long Hill, History of, 126-171 
Long Hill, Settlement of, 128 
Lucas, Moses, 166 

Lucas, Thomas, 168 

Lyman, Col. David, 56 

Lyman, David, 58 

Lyman, John, 55 

Lyman, William, 56 

Manufactories of Middle- 
field, 18-29 
Middlefield, Boundaries of, 5 
Middlefield, Corporation of, 11 
Middlefield Falls, 7 
Middlefield, First Settlement 

of, 6 

Middlefield, Population of in 

1815, 15 

Miller, Almon, 39 

Miller, Amos, 34 

Miller, Asher, 41 

Miller, "Gov." Benjamin, 6, 31 
Miller, Elisha, ' 35 



175 





Page. 


Miller, Dea. Giles, 


40 


Miller, Giles, 


42 


Miller, Giles, 


43 


Miller, Hezekiah, 


35 


Miller, Horace, 


46 


Miller, Lieut. Ichabod, 


38 


Miller, Ichabod, Jr., 


38 


Miller, Isaac, 


36 


Miller, Jacob, 


44 


Miller, Jacob, Jr., 


45 


Miller, Jesse, 


39 


Miller, John Willard, 


47 


Miller, William, 


43 


Nail Factory, 


21 



Old People of Middlefield, 125 
Paper Mill, 24 

Parsons, 54 

Peters' Spring, 9 

Pistol Factory, 23 

Political History of Middle- 
field, ' 29 
Pomp, Old, 54 
Powder Hill, 10 
Powder Mill, 20, 24 
Representatives of Middle- 
field, 30 
Reservoir, Middlefield, 26 
Rice, Hezekiah, 48 
Rivers, Brooks, and Springs, 8-10 
Saw Mill, 26, 29 



Page. 
Saw Mill Hollow, 8 

Schools of Middlefield, 15-18 
School Buildings, 14 

School Districts of Middle- 
field, Census of, 119-121 
School Lands of Middlefield 

Donated, 15 

Snuff 3Iill, 20 

Stow, Albert, 83 

Stow, Eliakim, 74 

Stow, Elihu, 75 

Stow, Joshua, 77 . 

Stow, Obed, 83 

Stow, Silas, 83^ 

Stow, Warren P., 84 

Talcott, 48 

Turner, 50 

Ward, Capt. James, 90 

Ward, James 2d, 90 

Ward, John, 165 

Ward Spring, Description of, 9 
Wards, 164 

Ward, Capt. William, 89 

Ward, William, 90 

West Long Hill, 171 

West River, Description of, 8 
Wetmore, Samuel, 6, 34 

Wire Works, 22 

Wool Carding, 22 

Wringer Factories, 27 






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